An Illinois jury awarded $2.84 Million to a painter who fractured his heel after falling approximately 15 feet while working at a construction site. His injury required multiple surgeries, resulting in a long period of time off of work and a hefty medical bill. The painter had been working on…
A 41 year old construction worker died when he fell through the elevator shaft of a Chicago Loop building project. The man, a carpenter by trade, was working on a tenant build-out on the 11th floor of the high-rise building when the Chicago construction site accident occurred. It was alleged…
Recently a settlement was reached in an Chicago construction injury case that resulted in a man’s death. The $2.6 million settlement was awarded to the family of a man who’d been struck and killed by a steel pylon that had fallen from a crane. At the time the man was…
Now that the road construction season is upon us in Chicago and Illinois it is important to remember to drive safely and cautiously when in a construction zone. According to a Bureau of Labor Statistics study, between 1995 and 2002, almost 900 road construction workers died from on the job…
Results from a new study show that deaths associated with forklift accidents are rising. Data was collected over a 15-year period by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) under their Traumatic Occupational Fatality surveillance system. The study showed that forklifts, or powered industrial vehicles, were involved in…
The Illinois Supreme Court recently reversed a prior ruling by the Illinois Appellate Court regarding employer immunity under the Workers’ Compensation Act (Daniel Ioerger, et al. v. Halverson Construction Company, Inc., No. 105912 (December 18, 2008).) In 1999, Midwest Foundation Corporation and Halverson Construction Company entered into a joint venture…
Consider a case where an Illinois roofer was burned when a tar pot ignites. This construction worker can claim damages against the site developer for negligence. Many building project developers are mindful of the fact that many workers in the construction industry are exposed to dangerous conditions. But in some…
Illinois Appellate Court ruled that Illinois Insurance Guaranty Fund (IIGF) is responsible for paying Illinois workers’ compensation benefits to a worker who was injured on the job (Virginia Surety Co. v. Adjustable Forms, Inc.). This ruling came in spite of IIGF’s claims that the Chicago worker was also covered under…
A recent decision by an Illinois Appellate Court continued the debate regarding the interpretation of the construction statute of repose (Illinois Code of Civil Procedure, Section 13-214(b)). The construction statute of repose states: No action based upon tort, contract or otherwise may be brought against any person for an act…