Steve Wade’s article explains how to finalize settlements of wrongful death claims and personal injury claims brought by estates and guardianships.  This is a highly specialized area of the law in which Anesi Ozmon has significant expertise.  Some of our clients are the families of people killed on the job or in car accidents or other tragedies.  Other clients are so badly injured that it is necessary for a guardian to be appointed for them.   Our clients also include children who have been hurt at school or in an accident caused by someone else’s negligence.  As a consequence, Anesi Ozmon has decades of experience helping families with decedent’s estates, disabled adult guardianships and minor guardianships.  This in-house expertise allows us to effectively and efficiently represent our clients and their families concerning all aspects of their injury cases.  It also allows our clients to limit the additional costs and expenses associated with decedent estates and guardianships. (more…)

A workers’ compensation case is not the only way to be compensated for an on-the-job injury when another company on the job site caused the injury. Our attorneys are experienced in identifying additional liability cases within workers’ compensation claims.

In Illinois, generally, an injured worker cannot sue its employer; the workers’ compensation case may be the only way to be compensated by the employer. However, an injured person may also be able to pursue additional compensation against any other party that may have contributed to the job-related injury. These additional cases are commonly referred to as third-party cases, as they are claims against companies—other than the employer—for the injury.

For example, if a defective tool or machine caused the injury, the injured worker may be able to pursue a third-party product liability case against the manufacturer. Such claims would also include defective warehouse vehicles, warehouse storage shelving units, forklifts, scaffolding, scissor lifts and an array of industrial tools and machines.

Another common scenario occurs where a third-party case arises when an injury occurs on a job site that has employees from multiple trades/employers. For example, if an employee of a subcontractor causes an injury to...

Medicare’s future interest must be considered in every workers’ compensation settlement. When the injured worker is a Medicare beneficiary or anticipates enrolling shortly after settlement, a “Medicare Set-Aside” (MSA) must be funded when there is an expectation of future medical treatment. This means setting aside an allocation above and beyond the settlement proceeds specifically for future medical expenses related to the work injury. An MSA essentially serves as a deductible for future work-related expenses. It is not until after the funds in the MSA have been exhausted that Medicare will then step in and provide coverage. Thus, an MSA not only protects the interests of Medicare, but also the injured worker who is a beneficiary or planning to enroll. Anesi Ozmon’s team of workers’ compensation attorneys is here to answer any questions about Medicare Set-Asides.