Monday, Governor Quinn signed a new workers' compensation law, called Uhl's law, that prevents individuals from receiving workers' compensation if they were convicted of aggravated drunk driving or reckless homicide and their injuries were caused by the crime.

The bill was written after two sisters, Jessica and Kelli Uhl, were killed in a tragic car accident caused by an Illinois State Trooper traveling at 126 miles per hour.  Investigators believe that the former police officer was talking on his cellphone and receiving text messages before the accident occurred.  

The former police officer plead guilty to reckless homicide and later filed for workers' compensation because of an injury he suffered in the fatal car accident.  The workers' compensation filing was denied, but the officer later appealed the ruling.

One of the sponsors of the bill, Representative Dwight Kay, stated, "Taxpayers will no longer be paying a person who was injured while committing a crime on the state's dime.  Uh's law will prohibit the payment of workers' compensation claims if a felony conviction was obtained on the job."

If you or someone you know has been injured on the job and needs assitance filing to receive workers' compensation, contact the Chicago workers' compensation attorneys of Friedman & Bonebrake, P.C. by calling 312-466-8200 today. 

Last Wednedsay, the Illinois House of Representatives passed new workers' compensation legislation that keeps people who are injured while engaged in a felony, reckless homicide, or aggravated DUI from receiving benefits.  Members of the Senate approved the bill in April.  The bill now awaits a signature from Governor Quinn.

Senate Bill 1147 states that if a person is injured in one of the three aforementioned crimes and "caused an accident resulting in the death or severe injury of another person," they are not eligible to receive workers' compensation benefits.

Represenative Dwight Kay, the bill's sponsor, stated, "Taxpayers should not have to pay a person who was injured while committing a crime on the state's dime."  In addition, "Taxpayers and employers should not have to pay an employee for an injury that arises out of a commission of a felony while on the job."

If you or someone you know needs to file for workers' compensation benefits, contact the Chicago workers' compensation lawyers of Friedman & Bonebrake, P.C. at 312-466-8200 to learn more about your rights to workers' compensation.

Earlier this month, the Illinois House of Representatives voted 111-0 to approve an audit of workers' compensation benefits from state employees.  Specifically, the bill audits "the number of claims filed by state workers during the last four years, a review of the settlement contract process, an analysis of any fraud identification and control policies and procedures, an analysis of arbitrator caseloads over the four-year period, and a review of conflict of interest policies applicable to arbitrators and commissioners."

The bill was created to prevent supposed abuse of the workers' compensation system by state workers, specifically several employees at the Menard Correctional Center in Chester, Illinois.  Around 230 guards at the jail applied for benefits for repetitive motion injuries caused by repetitively locking and unlocking heavy jail cell doors.

To discuss filing for or appealing workers' compensation in Chicago with an experienced attorney, contact the Chicago workers' compensation attorneys of Friedman & Bonebrake, P.C. at 312-466-8200 today.

GSI Group, LLC is a grain dryer equipment manufacturer based in Assumption, Illinois.  This week, the company was cited by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration for two serious safety violations and one willful violation.  Federal OSHA officials began investigations into the company after a worker was wrongfully killed in a workplace accident when operating a laser cutting machine at the company's plant in Newton this past summer.

GSI Group received a willful violation citation for failing to put up guards on its automatic laser cutting machine.  In addition, the  company was cited for two serious safety violations involving not properly closing an electrical box opening and not using lockout procedures with the laser cutting machine.  

OSHA area director Thomas Bielema stated, "A worker should never lose his or her life because an employer fails to follow safety regulations...GSI could have avoided this tragedy had it been following the required OSHA safety standard".

In January 2009, approximately 1,500 Honduran workers at Nike Inc.'s Choloma and San Pedro Sula factories were shocked when their workplaces were shut down without notice.  Since then, anti-sweatshop university and student groups have been pressuring Nike Inc. to pay the laid off workers the compensation and severance they deserve.

Initially, Nike refused to pay the workers, arguing that it was the responsibility of their subcontractors, Vision Tex and Hugger.  However, on Monday, Nike Inc. announced the approval of $1.54 million in workers' compensation to be paid to the laid off Honduran workers.  The compensation will be distributed between workers based on length of service and earnings.

Scott Nova, director of the Workers Rights Consortium, stated his belief that Nike will "fully compensate workers for what they are owed".  On the contrary, many groups still believe the workers are owed around $2.2 million in severance payments.  

If you or someone you love is seeking workers' compensation, contact the Chicago workers' compensation attorneys of Friedman & Bonebrake, P.C. at 312-466-8200 to learn more about your rights.