The moment Illinois workers’ compensation professionals have been waiting for has finally arrived!  On October 21, 2021, Arbitrator Amarilio issued the first decision addressing Illinois’ COVID-19 presumption in the case of Edgar Lucero v.  Focal Point, LLC (20 WC 18985).

Two state insurance guarantee funds challenged CMS’ definition of a “primary plan” in order to exclude themselves from conditional payments and Section 111 reporting requirements.

On August 31, 2021, Governor Pritzker reappointed the following Arbitrators to the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission: Joseph Amarilio, Paul Cellini, Stephen Friedman, Gerald Granada, Jessica Hegarty, Adam Hinrichs, Jeffrey Huebsch and Maureen Pulia.

In the show Supermarket Sweep, contestants raced through the aisles of a supermarket in a short amount of allotted time, competing for the highest dollar value of items in their cart by the end of the spree.

On May 21, 2020, amendments to the Illinois Occupational Diseases Act created a rebuttable presumption in favor of compensability for COVID-19 first responders and front-line workers  who contract COVID-19; the expansive definition of “front-line workers” is based on occupations identified in the Governor’s Executive Order 2020-10 and includes employees of grocery stores, banks, postal workers, public transportation, hardware stores, etc. provided that their occupation required them to encounter members of the general public or to work in locations of more than 15 employees. 

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed Public Act 102-0006 on May 28, 2021. The law amends the Illinois Code of Civil Procedure to allow pre-judgment interest in personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits.

In the January 2021 legislative session the General Assembly approved HB 4276, which Governor Pritzker signed into law as PA 101-563.

On March 31, 2021, a circuit court judge in Kane County determined that employers owe no duty of care to their employees’ spouses who contract Covid-19 in the workplace.

Illinois law requires employers to provide workers' compensation insurance for almost everyone who is hired, injured, or whose employment is localized in Illinois.

On April 27, 2021 Governor Evers signed into law SB Bill 11 (now 2021 Wisconsin Act 29) which made important changes to the Wisconsin Workers’ Compensation Act.