A lot of people who suffer an injury while on the job can collect workers’ compensation benefits. Under Illinois law, employers are required to carry workers’ compensation insurance for their employees in the event they are injured on the job. In certain industries, a worker may develop an ailment over time due to repeated exposure to toxic substances. A person can suffer permanent physical and/or neurological damage from contact with chemicals, dust, fumes, mold, or radiation. Those employees are also entitled to compensation if the occupational disease or illness was due to continuous employment in that profession. The Illinois Occupational Diseases Act assures fair compensation for workers who are temporarily or permanently disabled by such illnesses or diseases.

Illinois Occupational Diseases Act

The Illinois Occupational Diseases Act states that an occupational disease is an illness or damaging condition that is a direct result of employment or which could be aggravated by hazardous workplace conditions. These unsafe conditions must not be “common to the general public.” Common colds and other contagious ailments are not generally considered to be directly work-related. Many jobs involve exposure to dangerous chemicals, radiation, loud noise, and other hazards. These occupations can include but are not limited to the following:

• Miners
• Construction workers
• Welders
• Farmworkers
• Tunnel or railroad workers
• Diesel mechanics
• Aerospace workers

The following occupational diseases are common among long-term industry employees and can ultimately be life-threatening for the employee:

Many people like to travel by plane because they can reach their destinations so much faster than by car or train. Statistics from the National Transportation Safety Board show it is actually a safer means of transportation than vehicles. However, injuries can still occur in the air. They may be as minor as a sprained shoulder while trying to reach the overhead bin, or as severe as head trauma during turbulence. In some cases, a plane crash can result in a catastrophic injury or death. Anyone who has been injured while an airplane passenger has rights to compensation for medical bills or lost wages if the injury prevents him or her from working. Depending on the circumstances, the airline and/or its employees can be held responsible.

Common Types of In-Flight Injuries

A number of in-flight injuries are the result of luggage falling out of the overhead bins. According to estimates, approximately 4,500 passengers are hurt each year from falling baggage. Many people use carry-on suitcases and they are packed full and can weigh a lot. If a person is struck by luggage, it can cause fractures to the face, head, or arms and also lacerations.

Weather can be unpredictable, and severe turbulence can turn a smooth flight into a bumpy ride. The sudden drop in altitude can thrust unbelted passengers to the ceiling of the plane, leading to concussions or broken bones. If the captain or flight crew did not adequately warn or instruct passengers to remain seated and fasten their seat belts before the turbulence occurred, that can be considered negligence.

Jumping on a trampoline can be fun for people of all ages, not just kids. It is a great form of exercise and can help users develop core muscle strength as well as strengthen their balance. Trampolines can be enjoyed outside in someone’s yard or inside at a facility. Unfortunately, thousands of people are injured on trampolines every year in the United States. Injuries can range from minor to major, such as small cuts to broken legs to fractures of the spine, head, ribs and more. The number of injuries continues to rise, despite efforts to make trampolines safer with enclosures or nets and padding. Children younger than 6 years old are at the greatest risk of injury, but adults can be hurt, too. Accidents happen, but in some cases, a trampoline injury might occur due to negligence by the trampoline’s owner.

Types of Injuries

The majority of trampoline injuries occur on home trampolines, although they can happen on indoor trampolines, too. Indoor trampoline “parks” have gained popularity in recent years since people can visit them in the winter months when the weather is bad outside. Common injuries sustained on any trampoline can include:

• Broken bones
• Concussions and other head trauma
• Sprains/strains
• Bruises, scrapes, and cuts
• Head and neck injuries

How Injuries Occur

As with any type of physical activity or sport, there are inherent risks. Guests of indoor parks are typically required to watch a safety video and sign a waiver before entering the jump zones. Although these indoor facilities often have pads surrounding the jumping areas, people can still get hurt. Many injuries take place when there is more than one person jumping or flipping on a trampoline. In addition, any objects such as balls or toys on the trampoline surface can also pose significant risks by tripping or slipping and falling. A person can also get hurt when he or she:

Summertime is when a lot of motorcycle enthusiasts take to the roads since the weather is warmer. Motorcyclists are also sharing the road with cars and trucks, and the potential for accidents can be high due to increased speeds. Statistics show approximately 5,000 people are killed in motorcycle crashes in the United States each year. A motorcycle accident can cause serious injuries such as traumatic brain injury (TBI), fractures, paralysis, just to name a few. These injuries can have devastating consequences that impact someone’s day-to-day life, so it is important to take safety precautions whenever possible.

Common Types of Motorcycle Injuries

A traumatic brain injury is the leading cause of death when it comes to motorcycle accidents. Since a person driving or riding on a motorcycle is not as protected as a passenger in a car or truck, the potential for significant injury is more likely. Other kinds of injuries include but are not limited to the following:

• Facial injuries
• Burn injuries
• Spinal cord injuries
• Thoracic injuries
• Skin abrasions
• Broken bones
• Emotional trauma

Safety First on a Motorcycle

One of the easiest ways for a motorcyclist to prevent a head injury is to wear a helmet. Wearing bright or reflective clothing increases a motorcyclist’s visibility to other motorists on the road. It is also important to make sure all turn signals, headlights, and brake lights are in working order. Below are some of the precautions that should always be taken before getting on a motorcycle:

Workplace accidents happen even when employers and employees act responsibly and take all necessary safety measures. These accidents can cause injuries that range from head trauma to carpal tunnel syndrome to lung disease. Companies in Illinois are required to carry workers’ compensation insurance in the unfortunate event their employees get hurt on the job. If you suffer an injury while performing your occupation, you can file a workers’ compensation claim to receive benefits for medical bills or lost wages. However, it is possible your claim could be denied. If it is denied, you still have options, but they can depend on the reasons for the denial.

Reasons Why a Workers’ Comp Claim Is Denied

There are several reasons your workplace injury claim may be denied. One reason is a delay in filing the claim. It is imperative that you report your injury or illness to your employer immediately. Then you should file a workers’ compensation claim with the state (unless your employer files it). If you miss a deadline, your claim will probably be denied.

Another reason your claim might be denied is lack of evidence the injury or illness was caused by performing your job duties. Your employer may try to argue that you had a pre-existing condition or you were acting irresponsibly, etc. Gather evidence to support your claim, such as photographs of the injury or witness testimonies.

During the dog days of summer, many people head to a pool or a beach to swim. Swimming pools are a great way to cool off and exercise in hot weather, but they can also involve risks that lead to accidents and even drowning. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), drowning ranks fifth among the leading causes of unintentional injury death in the United States. These accidents can take place at public or private swimming pools. Other potential injuries suffered at a swimming pool can also have devastating consequences as they can cause paralysis and loss of limbs, for example. In some cases, injuries occur due to negligence of the property by the owner or operator of the pool.

Causes and Types of Swimming Pool Accidents

Injuries at swimming pools can be caused by numerous items, such as improperly installed or faulty equipment. For instance, if a diving board is not securely fastened, it could come loose and hit a person diving or jumping off of it. If a deck or walkway is made of material that does not provide adequate slip resistance, a person could slip and fall and sustain head trauma or even a leg or arm fracture.

Injuries suffered at a swimming pool can also include electrocution and entrapment. Expired pool chemicals such as chlorine can cause skin infections or even diseases. Poorly designed or located water slides can also cause riders to collide into each other, possibly resulting in concussions, a back injury, or a neck injury. In addition, inadequate signage or dim lighting may not warn swimmers of potential hazards.

Landscaping companies are typically the busiest in the summer months since the weather is ideal for working in the yard. Depending on the size of the yard or property, a lot can be done to enhance a landscape. This can include trimming bushes, cutting the grass, and planting trees or flowers. Riding lawn mowers and trimmers are some of the tools of the trade for a landscaper. Powered equipment such as those can break down or potentially cause an accident. In any type of work environment, even outside, an employee can be at risk for injury. If you are hurt while performing duties at your landscaping job, you might be entitled to benefits through workers’ compensation.

Types and Causes of Injuries

According to the National Safety Council, a worker is injured on the job every seven seconds. Injuries in the landscaping field can be related to faulty equipment or machines, improper maintenance, or negligent property owners. Some of these injuries can include:

• Broken bones or fractures
• Severed body parts
• Concussions
• Heat stroke
• Back or neck strain

Some landscaping duties require workers to climb ladders to trim tall trees. If the ladder is not properly positioned, an employee can lose his or her balance and fall to the ground. This can cause significant head trauma or a broken arm or leg, not to mention a serious back or neck injury.

Blood and plasma donors help save lives. Donated blood and plasma are used for a wide variety of life-saving techniques that benefit thousands of people every day. Blood transfusions are needed on a daily basis in hospitals across the country. Plasma is used in the treatment of serious disorders such as hemophilia and immune system deficiencies, and to treat victims of shock and burns. Plasma donation has become popular due to the cash incentive since donors get paid for their donations, typically in the form of VISA gift/debit cards. As with a lot of medical professions, lab technicians at these facilities can injure themselves while performing certain job tasks. If you are hurt working in a blood or plasma donation center, you might be eligible for worker’s compensation benefits.

Job Duties

Lab technicians who work at blood or plasma donation centers screen candidates for their compatibility as donors. The plasma technicians use automated machines that collect the donors' blood, which separates blood components, retains the plasma, and returns the remaining blood components to the donors.

In addition to collecting and processing the blood or plasma, technicians might have duties that include cleaning the lab center and counting inventory. This could require manual labor, such as lifting and reaching for objects, sweeping and mopping floors, or even moving furniture. Employees could also provide routine maintenance on computers or machines, as well as administrative duties such as answering phones and helping donors complete paperwork.

A hospice social worker is a certified medical social worker (MSW) who has had specific training in end-of-life care. In hospice care, the social worker plays an important role in assisting with a patient’s wishes for care. This may include directives like a Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order, planning a funeral, suggesting grief counselors, and more. Sometimes the social worker simply provides a listening ear or an expression of sympathy. A hospice social worker’s compassion, support, and knowledge can greatly improve the experience of the patient and his or her family during a very emotional time. But what benefits does a hospice worker receive if they are injured on the job?

Types of Injuries

Many hospice social workers travel to nursing homes, hospitals, assisted living facilities, and even patients’ homes to perform their jobs. They typically use their own vehicles for transportation to and from sites, but this travel time is usually considered part of their workday. Inclement weather can sometimes put them at risk for car accidents due to icy or snowy road conditions, traveling in all kinds of weather, rain or shine. Distracted drivers on the roadway can also cause crashes or rear-end collisions.

Since a hospice social worker often enters patients’ homes, the potential for possible injury can occur there, too. For example, if the social worker trips on stairs, obstacles, or an uneven walkway in or around the house or facility. Slip and falls could also take place due to water or ice on the pavement. The social worker could also sustain a back or neck injury if he or she tries to help a nurse or family member transfer a patient from a chair to a bed.

Many rear-end collisions are minor fender-benders that result in little to no vehicle damage and minor, if any, personal injury. However, some back-end accidents are much more severe. In many cases, the sudden, rapid, back-and-forth jolting of the neck during impact causes whiplash. When that occurs, tendons, bones, and muscles of the neck are put under extreme stress, resulting in multiple symptoms that can have lasting, long-term effects. If you are involved in a rear-end collision, you should contact a personal injury lawyer to understand your options for compensation. Note: If you are seriously hurt and need immediate medical assistance, always call 9-1-1 first.

Recognizing the Symptoms of Whiplash

When a rear-end vehicle collision occurs, whiplash symptoms can be intense and immediate. However, in some cases, the severity of symptoms is not immediately felt. Instead, they intensify over the course of hours or days. Frequently, those drivers or passengers rear-ended in a collision decline medical treatment at the scene, but later begin experiencing the full effects of whiplash.

Common symptoms of whiplash include:

The first diesel engine patent was issued in the 1890s. Over the decades this combustible engine variant slowly gained in popularity. Its popularity comes from the ability of its fuel-air mixture to produce better energy efficiency than most gasoline engines. It became popular in the 1990s, especially in Europe. Studies showed that it released less CO2 carbon emissions than its gasoline counterparts. Many European countries began encouraging car manufacturers and their citizens to switch over to diesel. However, diesel emits Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) which caused air pollution. By 2014, Paris had pollution near the level of Beijing. This diesel related pollution has created health risks for Parisians living in the city.

The Potential Diesel Health Risks

The diesel engine is a great invention, but like all fossil fuel powered engines it has potential environmental and health risks. Those who work closely with diesel are usually the last to know of risks. Such as the possible relationship between diesel fumes and lung cancer. The American Cancer Society has released lab studies that have found that diesel fumes (like soot) can change the DNA in a cell which could lead to cancer. Others studies have found that there is an increased chance of cancer in individuals who work closest to diesel fumes, such as railroad workers, diesel truck drivers, miners, and heavy equipment operators. While the studies are not conclusive, other agencies such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have also done similar studies, which point to similar conclusions.

How to Stay Healthy

While diesel fumes do pose a threat to your health, thankfully, there are a few simple things you can do to minimize the risk.

In the past several decades there has been a rise in workplace injuries related to carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). In 2010 a study by the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that 3.1 percent of employed adults suffered from CTS. This injury occurs when the median nerve becomes pressed or squeezed at the wrist resulting in numbness, weakness and even pain in the wrist, hand, arm or elbow. Studies have shown that CTS is prevalent among those who work includes repetitive hand movement and is a fairly common office injury. If not treated CTS can become debilitating and lead to nerve damage. Thankfully, there are several treatments and methods to avoid this outcome.

Conventional Non-Surgical Treatments for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

There are many non-surgical options to ease or cure the pain of CTS. Many are simple and can be purchased over the counter.

• Wrist Splinting: Those who suffer from CTS can purchase a simple wrist brace from any convivence or drug store. If the CTS is moderate wearing it during the night can relieve pressure on the median nerve. If the CTS is aggressive the suffer can wear the brace during the day while performing the task that aggravates the injury.
• Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs): Using over-the-counter medication such as ibuprofen or Advil can ease the inflammation caused by CTS. If the pain is particularly severe a doctor can prescribe something a stronger medication.
• Corticosteroids: This is a simple injection from a doctor which helps to ease inflammation and swelling. It is injected in the aggravated area.
• Stretches and Breaks: The simplest thing to do is to take regular breaks from the activity with aggravates the CTS. During such breaks stretching the hand, wrist and arms can relieve the tension around the nerve.

Surgical Options for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

In some cases, non-surgical options are enough to eliminate the pain caused by CTS. In those instances, surgery is an option to consider. There are two popular surgeries offered to individuals ailing from CTS.

If you haven’t already, you will likely be in a car accident at some point in your life. Studies have shown that the average driver will have at least one vehicle-related accident once every twenty years. This likelihood increases when the driver regularly engages in bad driving practices such as drunk driving, driving while tired, or while talking on the phone. The likelihood of a car accident also increases based on the age of the driver with teenage drivers having a significantly higher probability than adults. If, or when, you get into a car accident there are five tips you should keep in mind.

Assess the Situation

After you have been in an accident, remain aware of your environment. If you feel that you have been injured then stay in your vehicle. Remain inside until emergency services arrive. If the circumstances demand that you leave your car then do so slowly and careful while remaining aware of your surroundings. Move to a safe location and stay there.

Call the Emergency Services

If you can move then call 911 and alert the police and the emergency services that an accident has occurred. Once they’ve arrived be polite and cordial and work with the police in relaying what happened.

Driverless cars are the latest buzzword in the tech and car industries. This led the public to believe that soon the road would be filled with 100% autonomous self-driving cars. While many early adopters are excited at this prospect, many drivers are uneasy by this idea. It also creates interesting legal questions regarding who could be at fault for injury if an accident involving a driverless car occurs. Without a doubt, the driverless car could be the future, but it is unlikely that the first models will be entirely autonomous. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has organized the types of driverless cars into six stages based on their level of autonomy.

Stage 0: No Automation

At this stage, the car is entirely dependent on the driver and offers no self-driving features. In other words, most, vehicles on the road today fit into this stage.

Stage 1: Driver Assistance

This includes some features like steering and acceleration to assist the driver. However, at this stage of automation, the driver has to remain actively aware of road conditions. The driver must still keep their hands on the steering wheel and be ready to operate the pedal

Driving a large truck, such as a semi-truck, is a different experience than driving a small passenger vehicle. The drivers of a semi-truck are often hauling around thousands of pounds of cargo and traveling long distances. The truck drivers may also have to deal with any manner of mechanical failures on the truck, which is increased by the number of miles the trucks are driving. Accidents do happen, whether they be passenger vehicles or large trucks, and injuries or fatalities from large truck accidents are likely. The cause of large truck crashes was studied by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), and some common causes were identified.

What Are the Causes?

The FMCSA was looking to determine why large trucks were involved in serious crashes. The total sample of the study was 963 crashes involving 1,123 large trucks and 959 vehicles that were not trucks. Out of those crashes, there were 249 fatalities and 1,654 injuries. 77 percent of the trucks included were single semi-trailer trucks and 5 percent were hauling hazardous materials. Crashes involving at least one other vehicle occurred in 73 percent of the crashes sampled.

The FMCSA study used two main definitions in their data. The critical event is the “action or event that put the vehicle or vehicles on a course that made the collision unavoidable” and the critical reason is the reason for that critical event. The critical events in the data the FMCSA observed were as follows:

Many drivers do not like driving near semi-trailer trucks and other large trucks. The sheer size of the vehicles make normal passenger vehicles feel minuscule in comparison, so it is understandable that many people would be nervous around them. The weight of a semi-trailer or large truck is much more than an average passenger vehicle as well. Weight affects a vehicle’s behavior in a number of ways, including less maneuverability, greater stopping time and distance, and more impact if something is struck by the truck. These factors all combine to make their involvement in automobile accidents something to be wary of when you are a driver because they can cause serious injury or death. Drivers can follow some simple best practices when around semi-trucks or other large vehicles to lessen the likelihood of involvement in a collision.

Keep Calm

Often when passenger vehicles drive around large trucks, they get frustrated about how long it takes trucks to accelerate and brake. It is important to keep in mind that large vehicles are not going to be able to accelerate or brake as fast as your vehicle when they can weigh 20-30 times what your vehicle does.

Wide Turns Will Happen

When driving around large trucks, keep in mind that they need to take a wider turn than your vehicle. The length of their vehicle does not allow them to make sharp turns, so they need to compensate for that length by swinging around, sometimes in other lanes. Watching out for any large trucks or buses that are swinging wide to turn will prevent an accidental collision.

Daylight savings time is a practice put in place in the United States in 1918 and has long since been a topic of heated discussion and debate. Advocates say having an extra hour of daylight in the evenings during the spring will help people be more active and will keep the roads safer because it is lighter longer. Detractors say it decreases productivity and can make people sick. Regardless of which side you are on, daylight savings time is a part of most people’s lives in the United States. However, there is evidence that daylight savings time is actually hazardous to the general public, due to an increased risk of car accidents following the clock change in the spring.

How Does Daylight Savings Increase Car Accident Risk?

A study in 2014 at the University of Colorado Boulder examined data regarding the prevalence of car accidents in the time period six days immediately following the change in clocks every spring. The results of that study found an increase of 6.3 percent during the six days after we change our clocks. The data was collected over a 10 year period. The reason for this increase in fatalities is because our bodies have a natural clock, known as the circadian rhythm. When the sudden shift in time occurs, it throws our natural clock off temporarily, and our bodies take time to readjust because of the sleep deprivation. This data is also corroborated by a study from Manitoba Public Insurance, an insurance agency in Canada. They found there was a 20% increase in car accidents the day after daylight savings time began compared to the other Mondays of 2014.

How Can This Be Prevented?

If you are worried about your drowsiness affecting your ability to drive a motor vehicle, you should take steps to lessen the likelihood of sleep deprivation. Making sure to go to bed early when you know the clocks will change, staying well-rested, and keeping an eye out for those drivers who were not as prepared as you were will help you stay accident-free after the time change.

Workers’ compensation claims can cover work-related injuries for a wide variety of reasons. Injuries at work will often qualify you to receive compensation and benefits, so it is vital to understand the background on workers’ compensation claims in Illinois. Using these statistics to have a discussion with your personal injury lawyer about the best course of action for your case will be beneficial to all who need to file a workers’ compensation claim.

The Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission releases a report on the workers’ compensation claims and the results of those claims filed in Illinois every year. The report filed in 2017 for injuries occurring in 2016 states that there were just over 200,000 instances of workers reporting injuries to their employers in Illinois during 2016, with 45,000 claims filed by the employees to the worker’s compensation commission. Here are some of the key takeaways from that report.

Most Common Reasons for On-The-Job Injuries

The commission’s report states that overexertion and bodily reaction are the most common cause of work-related injuries by a wide margin. The five most common reasons below overexertion are: slip and falls, vehicle collisions, workplace violence, being exposed to dangerous substances or conditions, or contact with a part of the equipment or an object.

Bicycles are increasing in popularity for exercise and recreation, as well as an alternative method of transportation. Bicycle riders need to take measures to protect themselves while riding their bike. It is important to remember bicycles do not have the same safety measures built-in to their vehicle as an automobile does and take the proper precautions, such as wearing a helmet, having proper reflective surfaces on the bike and clothing, wearing pads, etc. However, there is a growing problem regarding counterfeit bicycle helmets and the possibility of injury due to the poor quality of those helmets.

Lack of Protection

Counterfeit helmets often do not meet the federal safety standards for the protection a bicycle helmet should provide. During tests to compare fake bicycle helmets with real ones, the counterfeit ones completely break, while the real ones do not. The counterfeit helmets are more likely to not protect at all against injury or death from a bicycle accident, which is not something people want to hear about their bicycle helmet.

How to Determine If the Helmet Is Counterfeit

A counterfeit helmet may look just like a normal helmet at first glance. However, if examined closely, there are some key differences between the two. The first factor to evaluate is the price. If the helmet is cheap, especially if it is a specialized helmet, chances are good it is fake. Additionally, for a safety measure that is going to protect your life, it may not be the greatest idea to buy a cheap helmet anyway. Doing the research on what normal bicycle helmets should cost from reputable dealers and comparing the prices you see will go a long way towards making sure your helmet is not counterfeit.

Injuries are a normal part of life for most people. Simple things such as paper cuts do not require much treatment, but more serious injuries require more serious medical care. Treatment for injuries or ailments is often done in an emergency room or urgent care center. However, many people may not realize there is a difference between the two treatment facilities and they both are intended for different types of problems.

Urgent Care Center

Urgent care centers do not necessarily treat urgent injuries. The urgent care center is mainly used for when you are unable to go see your regular doctor but have something that needs to be examined by a medical professional. Often urgent care is used after a doctor’s office has closed, but the patient can not wait to make an appointment. Typical injuries treated in urgent care include abdominal pain, dehydration, cuts that may need stitches, high fevers, etc. Urgent care centers are typically less expensive than emergency rooms, especially if an ambulance ride is involved in the trip to the emergency room. Additionally, depending on location and type of injury, urgent care is often faster than the emergency room. Many urgent care centers are also located conveniently around shopping malls and commercial areas.

Emergency Room

The emergency room is most commonly used when someone has severe wounds or is at risk of loss of limbs or death. Common reasons for using the emergency room include heart attacks, strokes, extreme shortness of breath, poisoning, suicidal or homicidal feelings, coughing blood, and major amputations or wounds. The emergency room does have at least one major benefit over an urgent care center. Most emergency rooms are staffed and prepared for a wide variety of serious and life-threatening situations.