Section Newsletters

Articles on Workers Compensation

Case Summary: Card Dynamix, LLC v. Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission By Olga Beznashchuk Workers’ Compensation Law, October 2025 Third District Court rules that section 12 examination can be used by the employer not only to determine the nature and extent of disability but also to determine medical treatment and services to be included under open medical awarded.
Commissioner Spotlight: Carolyn Doherty By Alexis Ferracuti Workers’ Compensation Law, October 2025 Each month, the Workers’ Compensation Law Section Newsletter will feature an Arbitrator or Commissioner spotlight to help the practicing bar get to know the Commission on a personal and professional basis.
Editor’s Note By Alexis Ferracuti Workers’ Compensation Law, October 2025 A note from the Editor of the Workers' Compensation Law Section Newsletter. 
In Memoriam By Deborah Benzing Workers’ Compensation Law, October 2025 A few words from the Chair of the Workers' Compensation Law Section Council in memory of Peter Akemann, a dedicated Arbitrator with the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission. 
Remembering Justice Thomas E. Hoffman Workers’ Compensation Law, October 2025 Justice Hoffmann will be remembered as a distinguished jurist, loving husband and father, avid collector of historical memorabilia, and a classic car enthusiast. 
Arbitrator Spotlight: Dennis S. O’Brien By Alexis Ferracuti Workers’ Compensation Law, August 2025 Each month, the Workers’ Compensation Law Section Newsletter will feature an Arbitrator or Commissioner spotlight to help the practicing bar get to know the Commission on a personal and professional basis.
Beyond the Factory Floor: How Occupational Disease Coverage Shaped Illinois Workers’ Compensation Law By Alexis Ferracuti Workers’ Compensation Law, August 2025 A historical overview of the Occupational Diseases Act of 1936. 
Comp in the Classroom By Brandy Johnson Workers’ Compensation Law, August 2025 A law professor details her experience with developing an innovative Workers' Compensation course to provide students with real-world practice experience. 
Editor’s Note By Alexis Ferracuti Workers’ Compensation Law, August 2025 A note from the Editor of the Workers' Compensation Law Newsletter. 
The Supreme Court Clears the Underbrush for Mental Health Injuries By Kurt Niermann Workers’ Compensation Law, August 2025 A summary of McDonald v. Symphony Bronzeville and its impacts on the field of workers' compensation law. 
Arbitrator Spotlight: Paul Cellini By Alexis Ferracuti Workers’ Compensation Law, July 2025 Each month beginning with our July issue, we will feature an Arbitrator or Commissioner spotlight to help the practicing bar get to know the Commission on a personal and professional basis. This month features Paul Cellini, an arbitrator at the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission. 
1 comment (Most recent July 30, 2025)
Case Summary: LaBud v. L.A. Truck Leasing, Inc. By Stephen Smalling Workers’ Compensation Law, July 2025 In LaBud V. L.A. Truck Leasing, Inc., 24IWCC0294 (2024) the Commission addressed the credit due Respondent against future PTD benefits following the settlement of a third-party claim wherein its section 5(b) lien had not been satisfied in its entirety. The Commission’s decision, confirmed by the Circuit Court, provides an excellent roadmap to both Respondent and Petitioner’s Counsel when resolving a third-party claim with ongoing workers’ compensation benefits due and owing.
Editor’s Note By Alexis Ferracuti Workers’ Compensation Law, July 2025 A Note from the Newsletter Editor of the Workers' Compensation Section Council about the July 2025 issue. 
The History of the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission: A Century of Evolving Protections By Alexis Ferracuti Workers’ Compensation Law, July 2025 The Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission (IWCC) stands as the administrative body that resolves disputes between injured workers and employers regarding job-related injuries and occupational diseases. Its origins reflect a broader national movement toward recognizing and protecting workers' rights in the industrial age. The development of the Commission over the past century illustrates the shifting economic, political, and legal landscapes that have shaped labor relations in Illinois.
Recovery When an Employer Has No Insurance: IWBF Cases By Derek G. Dominguez Workers’ Compensation Law, July 2025 One of the first things a Petitioner’s attorney must do when they sign up a new client is figure out who is the employer’s insurance carrier. It can be disheartening to learn that an employer had no insurance on the date of injury due to a lapse in coverage, or even a willful decision not to carry insurance. Fortunately, the Injured Workers Benefit Fund (“IWBF”) was established for employees to recover workers’ compensation benefits such as PPD, TTD, and payment of medical expenses in cases where an employer is deemed to have had no insurance on the date of injury. The following will help you get to the finish line and recover for your client in these cases. 
Claimant Can Receive Benefits Under Sections 8(e)18 and 8(d)2 of the Workers Compensation Act By Gregory S. Keltner Workers’ Compensation Law, December 2024 In The American Coal Company v. Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission, 2024 IL App (5th) 230815WC-C, the Workers’ Compensation Commission Division of the Appellate Court affirmed the Commission’s decision that a claimant who is entitled to benefits under Section 8(e)(18) for the loss of both hands, both arms, both feet, both legs, both eyes, or any combination of the two may also receive benefits under Section 8(d)(2) for injuries to non-scheduled body parts.
Editor’s Note By Alexis P. Ferracuti Workers’ Compensation Law, December 2024 A note from the editor.
Teen Lifeguard Entitled to Award Despite Lack of Knowledge of Pool Rule Leading to His Injury: City of Mascoutah v. IWCC By Avery TenEyck & Margie Komes Putzler Workers’ Compensation Law, December 2024 City of Mascoutah v. IWCC discusses the personal comfort doctrine, whether a violation of a safety rule takes a claimant out of the scope of employment, and whether the employer acquiesced to the violation of the safety rules. 
City of Aurora v. Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission By Howard Ankin Workers’ Compensation Law, April 2024 An analysis of Sisbro’s continued effect on the causation standard in City of Aururo v. IWCC
Editor’s Notes By Tim O’Gorman Workers’ Compensation Law, April 2024 An introduction to the issue from one of the co-editors.
Masters v. IWCC: Appellate Court Affirms IWCC Taking Away Award on Credibility Grounds Despite No Evidence Offered by Respondent By Chris Williams Workers’ Compensation Law, April 2024 A petitioner’s credibility may have an impact on a trial and appellate outcome. 
Truck Driver Who Suffers Ankle Injury Entitled to Wage Differential Award Rather than PPD Benefits: Walsh v. IWCC By Brad L. Badgley Workers’ Compensation Law, April 2024 A discussion of the factors considered during a dispute about a petitioner’s capability to return to work in Walsh v. IWCC
Walter Kohut v. IWCC: Law of the Case Argument Falls Flat By Matteo Rago Workers’ Compensation Law, April 2024 An analysis Walter Kohut v. IWCC, an opinion involving a 19(h) petition for increased disability.
Appellate Court Confirms That Caterpillar Tractor Employment-Related Acts Analysis Is Not Applicable for Idiopathic Falls By Olga Beznashchuk Workers’ Compensation Law, December 2023 In Juarez v. Illinois Workers’ Compensation Comm’n, the appellate court analyzed the issue of causation in the context of an idiopathic fall.
Harrah’s Illinois Corporation v. Illinois Workers’ Compensation Comm’n: Down the Rabbit Hole to Consider Issues of Properly Perfecting a Review and Determining Manifest Weight By Rick Turner Workers’ Compensation Law, December 2023 A summary and analysis of Harrah’s Illinois Corp. v. Illinois Workers' Compensation Comm'n.
How Do You Prove Entitlement to a Section 8(E)17 Credit? An Analysis of Bowen v. IWCC By Michelle D. Porro Workers’ Compensation Law, December 2023 A summary and analysis of Bowen v. Illinois Workers' Compensation Comm'n.
Appellate Court Affirms the Decision of the Commission Finding That the Decision Was Not Against the Manifest Weight of the Evidence By Tammy A. Paquette Workers’ Compensation Law, September 2023 A summary and analysis of Durable Packaging v. Illinois Workers’ Compensation Comm'n.
Where a Claimant Worked Purely on a Voluntary Basis, the Appellate Court Held That She Failed to Prove That She Was an Employee By Kenneth M. Lubinski Workers’ Compensation Law, September 2023 Where a claimant worked purely on a voluntary basis as a pilot for a skydiving center in order to accumulate flight hours with no expectation of payment or future employment, the appellate court held that she failed to prove that she was an employee and denied liability under the Illi-nois Workers’ Compensation Act. 
The Court May Affirm Commission Decision if There Is Any Legal Basis in the Record to Sustain It By Jack Linn Workers’ Compensation Law, July 2023 In Chicago Board of Education v. Illinois Workers’ Compensation Comm’n, a teacher in Chicago sustained injury when she fell down a flight of stairs after clocking out of work.
Employco USA v. Workers’ Compensation Comm’n Calculating Wage Rates Where the Petitioner Only Worked a Few Days By Joseph K. Guyette Workers’ Compensation Law, July 2023 Employco USA, Inc. v. Illinois Workers' Compensation Comm’n addresses the proper method for calculating average weekly wages for an employee who worked for a relatively short period of time.

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