The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently inspected and fined a Byron, Illinois, rehabilitation and post-acute care facility for failing to adequately protect healthcare workers in violation of federal safety regulations. According to...
Rockford Illinois Workers’ Compensation Law Blog
SSDI and SSI in the news
At our law firm, we represent injured or ill Illinoisans in their applications for or termination from Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Insurance (SSI) (and in workers’ compensation claims). Today we share a sample of current...
Lack of safety compliance can lead to serious construction accident injuries
Anyone who works construction knows how dangerous the job can be. Even when all the safety protocols are followed, everyone on the job is well-rested and alert, and the team is loaded with experienced professionals, construction work always presents significant danger...
Use power tools at work? Excessive vibration can lead to injury.
Some vibrations can be therapeutic and relaxing, which is why we all love those vibrating massage chairs you see for sale at the mall. But too much vibration over an extended period of time can be more harmful than most people realize. If you work in construction or...
Does fault play a role in workers’ compensation?
Safety protocols and policies in workplaces are there for a reason. Sometimes they may seem unnecessarily limiting or meant to address a safety issue that would be highly unlikely to occur. But employers don’t get to pick and choose which protocols to follow. After...
Illinois construction workers at high risk of suicide
September is Suicide Prevention Month. In support of this cause, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a news release about the shockingly high rate of suicide among male construction workers as compared with employees in other industries....
Can healthcare providers get workers’ comp for PTSD?
The pandemic has taken a heavy toll on doctors, nurses and other front-line medical workers. Every day, they have faced an influx of desperate patients with COVID-19. The efforts to treat those patients – and prevent them from dying – have been extraordinary but...
New conditions qualify for Compassionate Allowances in SSDI, SSI programs
People who apply for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) must be disabled from working to qualify for benefits, among other eligibility requirements. The definition of disability for purposes of these programs is a severe...
Chicago congressman urges SSA to focus on COVID long haulers
Eight months ago, we wrote in this space about COVID-19 long haulers – people who suffer sometimes debilitating symptoms for months after having been infected. In that post, we explained that for a person to meet the disability requirements of Social Security...
Interaction of Illinois workers’ compensation benefits and the COVID-19 vaccine, part 2
In part 1 of this post, we talked about Illinois workers’ compensation law and its potential interaction with the coronavirus-vaccine issues. Today we will talk about rare, severe side effects from the vaccine and other more tangential injuries for which employees may...
