Yes. Whether they’re professional drivers or occasionally run errands for work, a lot of people wonder whether their car accident is covered by workers’ compensation. In cases where an employee was driving for work or to benefit the company, car wrecks are indeed...
Workers’ Compensation
OSHA, industry leaders launch Midwest campaign about excavation safety
Last year, four Illinois workers died during trench or excavation work. They were among 39 who died nationwide in 2022 doing this hazardous type of work. Unfortunately, that’s way up since before the pandemic. Between 2011 and 2018, 166 U.S. workers died in trench...
Violence against nurses is up. It’s usually covered by workers’ comp.
Based on data from three months of 2022, violence against nurses remains high – and it may be higher than it was before the pandemic. “As we saw, as with a lot of stresses on the RN profession during the pandemic, it amplified everything," commented one nursing...
OSHA: Dollar General is a ‘severe violator’ of workplace safety rules
Last fall, OSHA initiated a “severe violators” list. It includes companies who chronically expose employees to workplace safety and health risks. Dollar General was the first company OSHA put on the list. According to CNBC, Tennessee-based Dollar General grew rapidly...
Treatment for traumatic stress is often covered by workers’ comp
According to a recent article in Psychology Today, it takes a lot to effectively care for a first responder suffering from traumatic stress or PTSD. Specifically, it takes “a multidisciplinary team of peers, chaplains and culturally competent clinicians.” If you are a...
Grain bin operator allows worker to fall into equipment and be injured
When you work around machines, you always have to be careful. Most important, perhaps, is taking the proper precautions to prevent foreseeable injuries. Employers are supposed to identify hazards and take reasonable steps to mitigate those hazards. This is especially...
OSHA: Amazon warehouses expose workers to serious ergonomic hazards
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited three Amazon warehouses for failing to provide a safe workplace. One of them is in Waukegan. The citations were specifically about ergonomic hazards, or those involving work processes. The agency says...
Tragedy at the Mapleton Caterpillar foundry brings $145,027 fine
Foundries are among the most dangerous places anyone could work. The Mapleton, Illinois, foundry for Caterpillar of Irving, Texas, makes cast-iron engine components. Among the potentially deadly machines at the foundry were 11-foot-deep pots of molten iron that had...
5 issues affecting the workers’ comp legal landscape this year
For the tenth year in a row, the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) has issued a report about recent bills, laws and regulations that could impact the workers’ compensation system. It’s a national report, and these issues are cropping up across the...
OSHA cites Chicago candy factory for repeat lockout/tagout violations
Machine safety is critical to our workforce. Virtually every job involves a machine of some sort, and many of them pose serious safety risks unless handled carefully. One of the most basic safety protocols around machines is to power them down completely before...