01 July

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Arbitrator’s Decision in High-Exposure Stroke Claim

Congratulations to the Illinois Public Risk Fund and John Fassola for their win on behalf of the City of Kankakee in a case involving a catastrophic injury to a firefighter. The claimant had been cleaning and polishing vehicles on the apparatus floor when he was discovered non-responsive. It was determined he had suffered a carotid artery dissection leading to a stroke. Petitioner alleged that his activities in polishing the vehicles, requiring bending and reaching, were a cause of the dissection. However, we successfully argued that there was no evidence of what specific activities the claimant had been performing. Therefore, we were...

01 July

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Successful Defense Of Alleged Vaccination Injury

Posted by Sarah Cronin

in Significant Wins

Congratulations to the IRMA and John Fassola for their successful defense of a COVID-related claim on behalf of the Village of River Forest. More specifically, the claimant alleged a range of debilitating symptoms which she asserted had their onset from a COVID vaccination. She retained a well-known COVID and vaccination skeptic to provide an opinion on the relatedness of the symptoms, all of which were disputed by the defense. However, as a threshold issue, the Village maintained that her choice to obtain the vaccine, while it was administered at a Village facility, was entirely optional. We presented witnesses to rebut claimant’s...

19 December

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Power & Cronin Win for Pace Suburban Bus

Posted by Sarah Cronin

in Significant Wins

Congratulations to Pace Suburban Bus and Gina T. Panepinto for their successful hearing before IWCC Arbitrator Joseph Amarilio of the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission. The case involved a Bus Driver Petitioner that alleged injury to her left knee was exiting the bus stairs. The incident was viewed by 3 views in bus surveillance showing the Petitioner stepped down on her right foot, the opposite side of the alleged left knee injury. When cross examination elicited testimony that she did not feel any pain at the time of the incident, and felt a pop in her knee after she exited the employee...

14 December

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Michael Fuscone v. Village of Hanover Park

Posted by Sarah Cronin

in Significant Wins

Congratulations to IRMA, The Village of Hanover Park, and Gina T. Panepinto for the win and denial of claimed accident and benefits. The claimant firefighter made a report to his supervisor of left knee pain. The supervisor was a credible witness who documented the incident report of left knee pain, with no attributable work accident, activity or incident. The Arbitrator found the Petitioner failed to establish a work accident and that the left knee conditions were personal in nature. The Arbitrator found no Accident, and denied all benefits and awarded a credit to the Respondent of $26,625.03 for applicable medical charges...

17 August

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Another Win for Power & Cronin

Posted by Sarah Cronin

in Significant Wins

Congratulations to John Fassola and the University of Illinois for their win in a case with a very unusual fact pattern. The claimant was a student lab worker at the University and alleged that he contracted HIV as a result of exposure to infected blood samples. At trial, we were able to successfully argue multiple avenues denying the compensability of the case. First, we noted the fact that the claimant had not immediately reported the exposure, which made the credibility of his allegation questionable. We also used medical evidence to suggest that the timeframe between the alleged exposure and the...

17 August

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A Win for Power & Cronin

Posted by Sarah Cronin

in Significant Wins

Congratulations to Ed Miniat, LLC and Jeff Redick for their victorious hearing before IWCC Arbitrator Joseph Amarilio of the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission. The case involved a Petitioner that alleged to have sustained workplace injuries as a result multiple accidents including a fall and repetitive traumas. The Petitioner claimed over $132,000.00 in accrued benefits at hearing. As a result of inconsistencies in Petitioner’s testimony elicited on cross-examination and impeachment against medical record evidence, the Arbitrator determined that the Petitioner’s conditions were not causally related to the alleged injuries and all claims for benefits were denied. No appeal was filed....

14 February

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Jaskowiak v. Homer Township Fire

Posted by John Fassola

in Significant Wins

Congratulations to the Illinois Public Risk Fund and Gina Terrano Panepinto for their successful defense on Appeal of this matter brought pursuant to Section 19(b)1 before Arbitrator Paul Cellini. Following briefing on Review and expedited Oral Arguments, Panel A of the Workers’ Compensation Commission affirmed the Arbitrator's decision in Jaskowiak v. Homer Township Fire Protection District. The claimant was a fire fighter/paramedic who claimed injury to his foot and back after being disqualified from a 40-hour live fire training course due to heat exhaustion and dehydration. We questioned the credibility of the claimant regarding the timing of the disqualification from...

12 May

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Sea v. City of Pekin

Posted by John Fassola

in Significant Wins

Congratulations to the Illinois Municipal League and John Fassola for their successful defense of a claim before Arbitrator Bradley Gillespie in Sea v. City of Pekin. The claimant was a bus driver who slipped and fell on two occasions. He alleged the development of medial epicondylitis and carpal tunnel syndrome as a result of the falls. We questioned the causation between the fall and the alleged conditions and obtained a supportive IME opinion. At trial, we focused on the delay in seeking treatment for the alleged conditions, and the inconsistency in Petitioner’s complaints. On cross-examination, Petitioner admitted that he had...

20 April

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Brooks v. Kankakee School District #111

Posted by John Fassola

in Significant Wins

Congratulations to IPRF and Jeff Redick for successfully defending a denial of benefits by the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission before the Circuit Court of Kankakee County in the matter of Brooks v. Kankakee School District #111. The case involved a Cafeteria Supervisor that alleged to have sustained injuries to her wrist, elbow, shoulder, ankle, knee and hip from a fall in a snowy parking lot when leaving work. The Respondent successfully argued that the fall did not arise out of and in the course of her employment with the Respondent. The Court agreed that the claimant’s fall in a parking...

20 April

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Hedman v. City of Elmhurst

Posted by John Fassola

in Significant Wins

Congratulations to Dan Artman and the City of Elmhurst for their successful defense of a rebuttable presumption cardiac claim. This case involved a firefighter diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Due to the risk of sudden death should Petitioner be exposed to excessive physical stress, it was recommended by his treating physician that he no longer work as a firefighter. Petitioner claimed that his condition was caused by his work as a firefighter and argued that the rebuttable presumption applied to his claim. The City obtained an opinion from Dr. Richard Carroll that Petitioner’s condition is not causally related to his work for...