Reduce Illinois workers’ compensation insurance premiums, not the Strength of Laws which Protect Injured Workers
Posted: May 25, 2016
Recently, on WGN radio, Steve Cochran, interviewed Governor Bruce Rauner about the Illinois budget, which is on the verge of not being passed for nearly a year. View Article
Once again, Gov. Rauner reiterated his concerns over the cost of workers’ compensation. He even went as far as saying that claimants are making workers’ compensation claims for old, unrelated injuries, which are not “caused” by working on the job. Under Illinois law, most employers must provide and pay compensation for accidental injuries sustained by any employee arising out of and in the course of employment, regardless of who is at fault(820 ILCS 305/3). MLG represents many workers’ compensation claimants who have legitimately been injured on the job and deserve to be compensated for their injuries. Workers’ compensation insurance provides benefits, including, but not limited to, medical expenses, lost wages, and sometimes rehabilitation services.
According to the Department of Labor, some of the most common work-related injuries include:
- Overexertion
- Slip and falls
- Being struck by a falling object
- Car and/or truck accident
- Machinery/equipment-related accidents
- Repetitive motion injuries; i.e. computer use or assembly line work sometimes resulting in tendonitis or carpal tunnel syndrome
On May 24, 2016, the Illinois AFL-CIO, Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, Illinois Nurses Association and Workers Care Alliance sent out a joint statement in support of Workers’ Compensation Act improvements, which do not shortchange workers, taxpayers, health care providers and employers. https://www.iltla.com/illinois-afl-cio-illinois-trial-lawyers-associatio…
The main point of the statement was that insurers need to reduce their Illinois workers’ compensation insurance premiums by nearly 20 percent. The problem is not the employees getting injured. As the joint statement said, “When it comes to laws that protect Illinoisans who are injured on the job, changes that would negatively impact workers’ wages and standard of living would be a devastating blow to the middle-class families who already struggle to make ends meet. Any changes to workers’ compensation laws that reduce medical treatments and benefits for injured workers – hindering their ability to recover, forcing them onto public welfare rolls and leaving them seeking care from costly emergency rooms – must be opposed. Nothing less than the future well-being of our state and its citizens is at stake.”
If your loved one has suffered from an injury on the job, it is important that you contact a qualified workers’ compensation attorney as soon as possible. Contact the Law Office of Martin L. Glink today at 847-394-4900.
