Posted on 05/29/2012 1:36:13 PM PDT by KeyLargo
Feet hurt? In Illinois, 'repetitive walking' is a basis for workers' comp
By GEORGE PAWLACZYK AND BETH HUNDSDORFER NEWS DEMOCRAT — -- Posted: 10:39pm on May 26, 2012;
If you are a state employee and your feet hurt, you could be in line to receive medical care, including surgery, paid time off plus a tax-free disability settlement that might exceed your annual salary -- all paid for by taxpayers.
You also would keep your job.
Repetitive walking is now recognized in Illinois as a compensable on the job injury entitled to full workers' compensation benefits.
State employees whose jobs require them to walk and climb stairs who claim injury can cite a March 20 decision by the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission, an appeals panel, upholding a Menard Correctional Center guard's claim that walking prison tiers several miles per day for more than a decade injured his Achilles tendon. The guard, Tracy Howell, is seeking a disability settlement after undergoing foot surgery that cost taxpayers $62,062. Howell, who could not be reached for comment, has also been paid $11,146 for time off to recover.
The maximum security prison was the source of at least 230 repetitive trauma claims resulting in more than $10 million in disability settlements, mostly to guards, who claimed they injured their hands and elbows by turning keys and operating locking systems, according to a Belleville News-Democrat investigation last year.
If you are a state employee and have undergone multiple wrist and elbow surgical operations, you can still partake in strenuous sports such as bow hunting and still receive a workers' compensation disability settlement. But you might risk having your case turned over to criminal fraud investigators, as happened last week to Donald Malcolm, a shift supervisor at the Pinckneyville Correctional Center.
(Excerpt) Read more at bnd.com ...
I have been following some of this in the news for months about the guards at Menard getting worker’s comp at extremely high levels. I think there was an investigation being made into whether many of the claims were fraudulent, but have not seen anything as to how that turned out. As they are contemplating closing some IL prison facilities, it is likely more claims will be coming in from those who feel threatened of being laid off in the process, so they can get on the disability train before it is too late.
What is non-repetitive walking?
“Repetitive walking INJURIES” is doubtless how it officially reads. And it might happen, never say never, but of all the things I’ve heard people who walk constantly (like waiters) complain about, this is hardly at the top of the list. Walking is generally considered to be good for a body, if not carried to stupid extremes like death marches.
In California getting up and going to work can be a cause for a workers comp claim.
I think it's part of the human veal exercise program. The tiers are something like 1) steady diet of pre-prepared foods, 2) low sunlight, 3) low exercise, and 4) untold hours of staring at screens and monitors.
My lungs are destroyed from repetitive breathing stress and my heart is broken down from decades of repetitive use without a moments rest.
I need to file a claim...
I suspect IL, CA, and NY (the three states with the biggest budget deficits) will get federally guaranteed state bonds.
Not that the federal guarantee means much, but it will buy them a few more years.
If repetitive walking as these employees faced caused disabilities, how do our military members and Sierra club hikers survive?
what's next... mailmen???
I live here and I agree with you. It’s really too bad. 85% of Illinois is wonderful. But only 6 counties run things here. That’s right, 6.
Clueless Quinn won exactly 6 out of 95 counties.
They think they have it bad? My job forces me to do “repetitive sitting”, for hours at a time, sometimes all day! They’ve been doing this to me for years, and I may have permanently damaged my ability to sit, not just at home, but also in my personal life!
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