This is the second post in a series addressing guidance for employers on operating safely during the COVID-19 pandemic.

All 50 states are moving towards some level of reopening businesses following closures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

On April 13, 2020, the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission created an emergency amendment to Rule 9030.70, expanding the Commission’s Rules of Evidence to include a rebuttable presumption for first responders and front-line workers exposed to COVID-19.

Being surveilled is unsettling, but the ordinary life of a Petitioner is a fascinating area of workers’ compensation and can have a significant impact at any trial.

The “Eggshell Skull Rule” is a longstanding principle in workers’ compensation law.

Section 25.5 of the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act (820 ILCS 305/25.5) governs workers’ compensation fraud in Illinois. 

Self-directed job logs, ledgers and spreadsheets created by a Petitioner should be heavily scrutinized, and can be critical in pointing to a claimant’s diminished credibility.

If you’ve got low back pain, you’re in good company.  Low back pain is the most common musculoskeletal condition in the adult population, with prevalence up to 84%.[1]  The use of advanced imaging (such as MRI) is dramatically on the rise, despite lack of evidence to support its benefit.