We recently posted here about the Social Security Administration (SSA) plan to hold administrative hearings before administrative law judges (ALJs) via the remote Internet video platform Microsoft Teams, beginning sometime this fall. As we discussed, in appeals for...
On Sept. 24, the Supreme Court of Illinois released its opinion in McAllister v. The Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission (WCC), a case that elaborates on when an injury “arises out of” employment for purposes of workers’ compensation eligibility. The case...
In response to the coronavirus, the Social Security Administration (SSA) shut its doors to walk-in services in mid-March, remaining open for business only via its website, telephone, mail and fax, and allowing in-person appointments with strict controls to prevent...
Anyone eligible for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) meets the federal definition of disability – meaning that they have a severe physical or mental medical impairment or combination of impairments expected to last at...
We post here often about Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), a federal disability insurance program into which workers pay and earn coverage should they become disabled and unable to work. But for some who have not earned coverage or are otherwise ineligible,...
People may think of work injuries and occupational diseases as strictly physical harm for purposes of eligibility for workers’ compensation benefits in Illinois. However, in three kinds of situations, mental or psychological injury is also compensable under Illinois...
Unfortunately, workplace violence is a reality of modern American life. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), it ranks as the third-leading cause of work-related deaths here in the United States. But what are the legal remedies for...
The first day of summer 2020 has just passed with the hottest months yet to come. In Illinois, July and August can bring oppressive heat and humidity – a difficult combination from a safety and health standpoint for people who work out of doors or in indoor work...
On June 5, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a mostly bipartisan bill that created a presumption in state law that for workers’ compensation eligibility purposes, when an essential worker contracts COVID-19, a rebuttable presumption is created that the...
Every year, Illinois workers’ compensation claimants submit at least 40,000 settlement contracts to the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission (IWCC) for agency arbitrators to review and approve. These settlements are negotiated between workers with...
