Synopsis: Illinois WC Appellate Solid Ruling on Disputed Work-Related Death of “Traveler” Leaves Us Guessing… Subway v. IL WC Commission.  Editor’s comment: First, the term “traveling employee” isn’t defined anywhere in the IL WC Act or Rules. The IWCC and courts can interpret it, as they feel it best. Typically, the lack of statutory direction means we are going to see unexpected outcomes related to indefinable “travelers” when such cases reach our usually liberal IL WC reviewing court. Welcome to the People’s Republic of Illinois, as my old friend would say. This ruling is less than liberal and is crystal clear to your editor. Does…
Continue Reading April 2026; Disputed Work-Related Death of "Traveler" Reviewed; AI and Workers Comp and more

Synopsis: Shocking IL WC Claims Where Our IL Courts Don’t Treat Them as WC Claims!!Editor’s Comment: As we reported last October 2025, in Rivas V. Benny’s Prime Chophouse LLC, Claimant was at work, ate food from his employer and sadly passed away at work. Turns out he was very allergic to sea food. You may note his widow probably didn’t get a dime in IL WC death benefits because to accept such benefits would change the course of the litigation that almost certainly was driven by the widow’s counsel into the common law courts.Please also note Decedent passed in 2010. While the widow…
Continue Reading March 2026; Happy St. Patrick's Day to All; Some IL WC Claims Are Now Being Treated as Common Law or even Criminal Law Claims; Tim O'Gorman on a Interesting Fall-Down Claim and more

Synopsis: The Epitome of Stupidity–Illinois WC “Odd Lot” Total and Permanent Claims Get Worse and May Even Have Caused the Demise of this Long-time IL Employer. Editor’s comment: I write with all candor and respect for our various hearing offices but it is hard to make sense of “nonsense.” Please note this is another sad example of a completely made-up work comp term. I say that because the words “odd lot” don’t appear in the IL WC Act or Rules. There are various other States that appear to have it or at least discuss it—Wyoming, Nevada and New Jersey. I giggle at…
Continue Reading February 2026; The Epitome of Stupidity–Illinois WC "Odd Lot" Total and Permanent Claims; Shawn Biery with New Updated IL WC Rate Chart and more

Synopsis: New Illinois legislation will expand WC coverage “presumptions” to hospital security staff to shockingly include Conditions of Daily Life, like hearing aids. Editor’s comment: Are they really going to kill the IL WC Golden Goose? If the IL legislature turns everything into a presumption of IL WC coverage to make it impossible to dispute, what will we need hearing officers and Claimant lawyers for? Please also note “Conditions of Life” are things like thinning hair, beer bellies, fallen arches and baldness, etc. Hearing loss is unquestionably and typically a Condition of Life. Thousands of folks in the U.S. need hearing aids—the NIH says 7-8 per cent of…
Continue Reading 1-10-2026; Are they going to kill the IL WC Golden Goose?; New IME mileage rates for IL WC IME's and more

Synopsis: Doctor-Shopping IL WC Claimant Gets Half a Loaf of Benefits. Editor’s comment: My strongest recommendation in handling claims (and Claimants) such as this is to implement and stick to UR or utilization reviewwhen a man or woman is making an IL WC claim and treating and treating and treating some more. UR in the IL WC Act has presumptive value, if the rules setting it up are closely followed. Please note IME’s were used in this claim and did not slow Claimant from seeking a kaleidoscope of worthless and expensive medical care with doctor after doctor after doctor. Guess what,…
Continue Reading December 2025; Doctor-Shopping Claimant Gets Half a Loaf of Benefits; Masseuse Gets "Rubbed the Wrong Way" by IL WC Decisions and more

Synopsis: Has the IL WC Defense Group Painted Itself into a Corner? Editor’s comment: We are now seeing, in claim after claim, a new and exasperating concept—almost every member of the IL WC Claimant bar is now asking for and/or demanding “permanency” for any claimant whose treating doctor will state they are a “candidate” for future surgery or other poorly defined future medical care. The reason I put “permanency” into quotes is John/Jane Q. Public aren’t “permanently” disabled when they haven’t had a proposed surgery but might, just might need a second, third or more surgery at some remote and untargeted…
Continue Reading 11-10-25; Has the Illinois Work Comp Defense Group Painted Itself into a Corner? Changes Proposed for IL WC Burial Benefit and more

Synopsis: What the heck is “Beneficial Ownership Information” and what is a “BOI Report”? Every U.S. company/LLC/corporation has to file this by January 1stWe are somewhat perplexed that this new federally mandated corporate reporting has not been more widely discussed in business and legal circles, yet most businesses throughout the country are required to comply by January 1, 2025. With less than 90 days before the reporting deadline, we wanted to be sure you, our subscribers, clients, and any friends or family with businesses are aware of this new layer of government red tape and avoid the potential penalties for…
Continue Reading 10-31-2024;; Beneficial Ownership by John Campbell, JD; Illinois Supreme Court Expands Wrongful Death Claims by Bradley Smith, JD and more

Synopsis: Happy New Year to You and All Friends of the Firm!!! Editor’s comment: It is hard to believe 2024 is coming to a close but we keep on fighting the good fight for Illinois Employers, Insurance Carriers and Government Bodies in the Workers’ Compensation field. If you have IL WC defense files you need to close, please remember our motto—“The Only Good File Is A Closed File!!!” We close them faster than any other WC Defense firm. Synopsis: The Illinois Appellate Court, WC Division issues a rather shocking “traveling employee” ruling that is challenging for us to fit into the IL…
Continue Reading 12-31-2024; Happy New Year!!!; New and Baffling "Traveling Employee" Appellate Ruling; Illinois' MInimum Wage Will Rise to $15 an hour and much more

Synopsis: AS WE ARE NOW IN 2025—IL WC BENEFIT RATES STILL SPIRAL HIGHER??— SHAWN BIERY’S UPDATED IL WC RATE SHEETS AVAILABLE FOR ACCURATE WC RATES AND RESERVING!!!  Editor’s comment: The IWCC has posted a new max TTD rate of almost $2,000 per week going into 2025 and max PPD RATE is growing higher, at $1,045.92. FYI, Illinois WC rates have updated again so please be aware of the New IL WC Rates or your claims handling will suffer & penalties may ensue. Please also note that the IL State Min Wage also did rise another dollar on New Year’s Day, 2025. On…
Continue Reading 1-27-25; Updated IL WC Rate Chart from Shawn Biery, JD; John Campbell on another new law and more

Synopsis: Is it Christmas Again Already? The Illinois Supreme Court drops a giant gift into the stockings of the Plaintiff’s bar, allowing resurrection of a host of IL occupational exposure claims… against Illinois employers!  Wait… What?  It appears the exclusive remedy provision is now only exclusive until the IL plaintiff’s bar starts running out of people to sue. Editor’s comment: Let’s take a deeper look at Martin v. Goodrich Corp., 2025 IL 13509. Facts and Ruling: Rodney Martin was an employee of Goodrich Corp. allegedly working for a time with vinyl chloride monomer (VCM), a substance believed to cause angiosarcoma of the…
Continue Reading 2-8-25; John Campbell JD on Shocking New IL Law/Ruling; Tim O'Gorman JD on Important TPD Ruling and more

Synopsis: The Appellate Court of Illinois, Workers’ Compensation Division takes another mighty leap toward, and arguably beyond, the Positional Risk Doctrine in the Tazewell County ruling. Tazewell Country v. The Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission, et. al., 2025 Il App (4th) 230754WC. Thoughts and opinions by John Campbell, JD and Shawn Biery, JD. Editor’s Comment: Petitioner Potts worked as a dental hygienist for Tazewell County, performing teeth cleaning and sealing patients’ teeth which involved what she described as “a lot of hunching over” patients where her arms would be held at approximately shoulder level while working. Hired in 2005, she asserted she…
Continue Reading 2-16-2025; John Campbell and Shawn Biery's Thoughts on Important Positional Risk ruling; Wacky New IL WC Legislation, Possibly Ending the Role of Attorneys in the System and more

Synopsis: Test Question for Our Readers. There is Another Illinois Pro-Employee Rule to Consider When Settling IL WC Claims. Editor’s comment: Assume you have a WC claimant who is a challenging worker. The worker files a difficult-to-accept IL WC claim and are very unhappy with your company. During the pendency of the WC claim, they quit work for your company. You are working hard to close the WC case but you are also wondering—as the worker left your company, do you have to settle or seek a release from possible employment law charges/complaints? You wouldn’t have a release/resignation because the worker…
Continue Reading 4-23-2025; Another Illinois Pro-Employee Rule–Does the IL WC Industry Need to Get More General Releases?; Fall-Down Claim Dismissal Reversed and more