(820 ILCS 310/1) (from Ch. 48, par. 172.36)
Sec. 1. This Act shall be known and may be cited as the "Workers' Occupational Diseases Act".
(a) The term "employer" as used in this Act shall be construed to be:
1. The State and each county, city, town, township,
| incorporated village, school district, body politic, or municipal corporation therein. | |
2. Every person, firm, public or private |
| corporation, including hospitals, public service, eleemosynary, religious or charitable corporations or associations, who has any person in service or under any contract for hire, express or implied, oral or written. | |
3. Where an employer operating under and subject to |
| the provisions of this Act loans an employee to another such employer and such loaned employee sustains a compensable occupational disease in the employment of such borrowing employer and where such borrowing employer does not provide or pay the benefits or payments due such employee, such loaning employer shall be liable to provide or pay all benefits or payments due such employee under this Act and as to such employee the liability of such loaning and borrowing employers shall be joint and several, provided that such loaning employer shall in the absence of agreement to the contrary be entitled to receive from such borrowing employer full reimbursement for all sums paid or incurred pursuant to this paragraph together with reasonable attorneys' fees and expenses in any hearings before the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission or in any action to secure such reimbursement. Where any benefit is provided or paid by such loaning employer, the employee shall have the duty of rendering reasonable co‑operation in any hearings, trials or proceedings in the case, including such proceedings for reimbursement. | |
Where an employee files an Application for Adjustment |
| of Claim with the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission alleging that his or her claim is covered by the provisions of the preceding paragraph, and joining both the alleged loaning and borrowing employers, they and each of them, upon written demand by the employee and within 7 days after receipt of such demand, shall have the duty of filing with the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission a written admission or denial of the allegation that the claim is covered by the provisions of the preceding paragraph and in default of such filing or if any such denial be ultimately determined not to have been bona fide then the provisions of Paragraph K of Section 19 of this Act shall apply. | |
An employer whose business or enterprise or a |
| substantial part thereof consists of hiring, procuring or furnishing employees to or for other employers operating under and subject to the provisions of this Act for the performance of the work of such other employers and who pays such employees their salary or wage notwithstanding that they are doing the work of such other employers shall be deemed a loaning employer within the meaning and provisions of this Section. | |
(b) The term "employee" as used in this Act, shall be construed to mean:
1. Every person in the service of the State, county, |
| city, town, township, incorporated village or school district, body politic or municipal corporation therein, whether by election, appointment or contract of hire, express or implied, oral or written, including any official of the State, or of any county, city, town, township, incorporated village, school district, body politic or municipal corporation therein and except any duly appointed member of the fire department in any city whose population exceeds 500,000 according to the last Federal or State census, and except any member of a fire insurance patrol maintained by a board of underwriters in this State. One employed by a contractor who has contracted with the State, or a county, city, town, township, incorporated village, school district, body politic or municipal corporation therein, through its representatives, shall not be considered as an employee of the State, county, city, town, township, incorporated village, school district, body politic or municipal corporation which made the contract. | |
2. Every person in the service of another under any |
| contract of hire, express or implied, oral or written, who contracts an occupational disease while working in the State of Illinois, or who contracts an occupational disease while working outside of the State of Illinois but where the contract of hire is made within the State of Illinois, and any person whose employment is principally localized within the State of Illinois, regardless of the place where the disease was contracted or place where the contract of hire was made, including aliens, and minors who, for the purpose of this Act, except Section 3 hereof, shall be considered the same and have the same power to contract, receive payments and give quittances therefor, as adult employees. An employee or his or her dependents under this Act who shall have a cause of action by reason of an occupational disease, disablement or death arising out of and in the course of his or her employment may elect or pursue his or her remedy in the State where the disease was contracted, or in the State where the contract of hire is made, or in the State where the employment is principally localized. | |
(c) "Commission" means the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission created by the Workers' Compensation Act, approved July 9, 1951, as amended.
(d) In this Act the term "Occupational Disease" means a disease arising out of and in the course of the employment or which has become aggravated and rendered disabling as a result of the exposure of the employment. Such aggravation shall arise out of a risk peculiar to or increased by the employment and not common to the general public.
A disease shall be deemed to arise out of the employment if there is apparent to the rational mind, upon consideration of all the circumstances, a causal connection between the conditions under which the work is performed and the occupational disease. The disease need not to have been foreseen or expected but after its contraction it must appear to have had its origin or aggravation in a risk connected with the employment and to have flowed from that source as a rational consequence.
An employee shall be conclusively deemed to have been exposed to the hazards of an occupational disease when, for any length of time however short, he or she is employed in an occupation or process in which the hazard of the disease exists; provided however, that in a claim of exposure to atomic radiation, the fact of such exposure must be verified by the records of the central registry of radiation exposure maintained by the Department of Public Health or by some other recognized governmental agency maintaining records of such exposures whenever and to the extent that the records are on file with the Department of Public Health or the agency.
Any injury to or disease or death of an employee arising from the administration of a vaccine, including without limitation smallpox vaccine, to prepare for, or as a response to, a threatened or potential bioterrorist incident to the employee as part of a voluntary inoculation program in connection with the person's employment or in connection with any governmental program or recommendation for the inoculation of workers in the employee's occupation, geographical area, or other category that includes the employee is deemed to arise out of and in the course of the employment for all purposes under this Act. This paragraph added by Public Act 93‑829 is declarative of existing law and is not a new enactment.
The employer liable for the compensation in this Act provided shall be the employer in whose employment the employee was last exposed to the hazard of the occupational disease claimed upon regardless of the length of time of such last exposure, except, in cases of silicosis or asbestosis, the only employer liable shall be the last employer in whose employment the employee was last exposed during a period of 60 days or more after the effective date of this Act, to the hazard of such occupational disease, and, in such cases, an exposure during a period of less than 60 days, after the effective date of this Act, shall not be deemed a last exposure. If a miner who is suffering or suffered from pneumoconiosis was employed for 10 years or more in one or more coal mines there shall, effective July 1, 1973 be a rebuttable presumption that his or her pneumoconiosis arose out of such employment.
If a deceased miner was employed for 10 years or more in one or more coal mines and died from a respirable disease there shall, effective July 1, 1973, be a rebuttable presumption that his or her death was due to pneumoconiosis.
Any condition or impairment of health of an employee employed as a firefighter, emergency medical technician (EMT), or paramedic which results directly or indirectly from any bloodborne pathogen, lung or respiratory disease or condition, heart or vascular disease or condition, hypertension, tuberculosis, or cancer resulting in any disability (temporary, permanent, total, or partial) to the employee shall be rebuttably presumed to arise out of and in the course of the employee's firefighting, EMT, or paramedic employment and, further, shall be rebuttably presumed to be causally connected to the hazards or exposures of the employment. This presumption shall also apply to any hernia or hearing loss suffered by an employee employed as a firefighter, EMT, or paramedic. However, this presumption shall not apply to any employee who has been employed as a firefighter, EMT, or paramedic for less than 5 years at the time he or she files an Application for Adjustment of Claim concerning this condition or impairment with the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission. The Finding and Decision of the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission under only the rebuttable presumption provision of this paragraph shall not be admissible or be deemed res judicata in any disability claim under the Illinois Pension Code arising out of the same medical condition; however, this sentence makes no change to the law set forth in Krohe v. City of Bloomington, 204 Ill.2d 392.
The insurance carrier liable shall be the carrier whose policy was in effect covering the employer liable on the last day of the exposure rendering such employer liable in accordance with the provisions of this Act.
(e) "Disablement" means an impairment or partial impairment, temporary or permanent, in the function of the body or any of the members of the body, or the event of becoming disabled from earning full wages at the work in which the employee was engaged when last exposed to the hazards of the occupational disease by the employer from whom he or she claims compensation, or equal wages in other suitable employment; and "disability" means the state of being so incapacitated.
(f) No compensation shall be payable for or on account of any occupational disease unless disablement, as herein defined, occurs within two years after the last day of the last exposure to the hazards of the disease, except in cases of occupational disease caused by berylliosis or by the inhalation of silica dust or asbestos dust and, in such cases, within 3 years after the last day of the last exposure to the hazards of such disease and except in the case of occupational disease caused by exposure to radiological materials or equipment, and in such case, within 25 years after the last day of last exposure to the hazards of such disease.
(Source: P.A. 95‑316, eff. 1‑1‑08; 95‑331, eff. 8‑21‑07.) |
(820 ILCS 310/2) (from Ch. 48, par. 172.37)
Sec. 2. (a) Where any employer in this State is automatically and without election subject to and bound by the provisions of the Workers' Compensation Act by reason of the provisions of Section 3 thereof, as heretofore or hereafter amended, then such employer and all of his employees working within this State shall be automatically and without election subject to and bound by the compensation provisions of this Act with respect to all cases in which the last day of the last exposure to the hazards of the disease claimed upon shall have been on or after July 1, 1957. However, nothing contained in this Act shall be construed to apply to any business, enterprise, household or residence which is exempt from the compensation provisions of the Workers' Compensation Act under paragraphs 17, 18 and 19 of Section 3 of that Act.
(b) Any employer in this State who does not come within the classes enumerated by Section 2 (a) of this Act may elect to provide and pay compensation according to the provisions of this Act, for disability or death resulting from occupational diseases, and such election, when effective, shall apply to all cases in which the last day of the last exposure as defined in this Act to the hazards of the occupational disease claimed upon shall have occurred on or after the effective date of such election, and shall relieve such employer of all liability under Section 3 of this Act and all other liability with respect to injury to health or death therefrom by reason of any disease contracted or sustained in the course of the employment. The State of Illinois hereby elects to provide and pay compensation according to the provisions of this Act.
(c) Election by any employer, pursuant to paragraph (b) of this Section shall be made by filing notice of such election with the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission or by insuring his liability to pay compensation under this Act in some insurance carrier authorized, licensed or permitted to do such insurance business in this State. Such employer shall either furnish to his employees personally or post in a conspicuous place in the place of employment notice of his election.
(d) Every employer who has elected pursuant to paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section to provide and pay compensation shall, from and after the effective date of such election be and operate under all provisions of this Act except Section 3 hereof, with respect to all his employees except those who have rejected in due time as provided in paragraph (e). Any employer having elected, prior to October 1, 1941, not to provide and pay compensation may at any time thereafter again elect pursuant to paragraphs (b) and (c) to provide and pay compensation, but having thus elected for the second time to provide and pay compensation such employer shall, from and after the effective date of such last said election, be and operate under all provisions of this Act, except Section 3 hereof, with respect to all employees except those who have rejected in due time as provided in paragraph (e) of this section.
(e) If any employer elects, pursuant to paragraph (b) and (c) of this section, then every employee of such employer, who may be employed at the time of such election by such employer, shall be deemed to have accepted all the compensation provisions of this Act and shall be bound thereby unless within 30 days after such election he shall file a notice to the contrary with the Commission whose duty it shall be immediately to notify the employer, and until such notice is given to the employer, the measure of liability of such employer shall be determined according to the compensation provisions of this Act; and every employee of such employer, hired after such employer's election, as a part of his contract of hiring shall be deemed to have accepted all of the compensation provisions of this Act, and shall have no right of rejection.
(f) Every employer within the provisions of this Act who has elected to provide any pay compensation according to the provisions of this Act by filing notice of such election with the Commission, shall be bound thereby as to all his employees until January 1st of the next succeeding year and for terms of each year thereafter.
Any such employer who may have once elected, may elect not to provide and pay the compensation herein provided for accidents resulting in either injury or death and occurring after the expiration of any such calendar year by filing notice of such election with the Commission at least 60 days prior to the expiration of any such calendar year, and by posting such notice at a conspicuous place in the plant, shop, office, room or place where such employee is employed, or by personal service, in written or printed form, upon such employees, at least 60 days prior to the expiration of any such calendar year.
Every employer within the provisions of this Act who has elected to provide and pay compensation according to the provisions of this Act by insuring his liability to pay compensation under this Act, as above provided, shall be bound thereby as to all his employees until the date of expiration or cancellation of such policy of insurance, or any renewal thereof.
(Source: P.A. 93‑721, eff. 1‑1‑05.) |
(820 ILCS 310/4) (from Ch. 48, par. 172.39)
Sec. 4. (a) Any employer, including but not limited to general contractors and their subcontractors, required by the terms of this Act or by election to pay the compensation provided for in this Act shall:
(1) File with the Commission an application for |
| approval as a self‑insurer which shall include a current financial statement. The application and financial statement shall be signed and sworn to by the president or vice‑president and secretary or assistant secretary of the employer if it be a corporation, or by all of the partners if it be a copartnership, or by the owner if it be neither a copartnership nor a corporation. An employer may elect to provide and pay compensation as provided for in this Act as a member of a group workers' compensation pool under Article V 3/4 of the Illinois Insurance Code. If an employer becomes a member of a group workers' compensation pool, the employer shall not be relieved of any obligations imposed by this Act. | |
If the sworn application and financial statement of |
| any such employer does not satisfy the Commission of the financial ability of the employer who has filed it, the Commission shall require such employer to: | |
(2) Furnish security, indemnity or a bond |
| guaranteeing the payment by the employer of the compensation provided for in this Act, provided that any such employer who shall have secured his or her liability in part by excess liability coverage shall be required to furnish to the Commission security, indemnity or bond guaranteeing his or her payment up to the amount of the effective limits of the excess coverage in accordance with the provisions of this paragraph, or | |
(3) Insure his or her entire liability to pay such |
| compensation in some insurance carrier authorized, licensed or permitted to do such insurance business in this State. All policies of such insurance carriers insuring the payment of compensation under this Act shall cover all the employees and all such employer's compensation liability in all cases in which the last day of the last exposure to the occupational disease involved is within the effective period of the policy, anything to the contrary in the policy notwithstanding. Provided, however, that any employer may insure his or her compensation liability under this Act with 2 or more insurance carriers or may insure a part and qualify under Subsection 1, 2, or 4 for the remainder of his liability to pay such compensation, subject to the following two provisions: | |
Firstly, the entire liability of the employer to |
| employees working at or from one location shall be insured in one such insurance carrier or shall be self‑insured. | |
Secondly, the employer shall submit evidence |
| satisfactory to the Commission that his or her entire liability for the compensation provided for in this Act will be secured. | |
Any provision in a policy or in any endorsement |
| attached thereto attempting to limit or modify in any way the liability of the insurance carrier issuing the same, except as otherwise provided herein, shall be wholly void. | |
The insurance or security in force to cover |
| compensation liability under this Act shall be separate and distinct from the insurance or security under the "Workers' Compensation Act" and any insurance contract covering liability under either Act need not cover any liability under the other. Nothing herein contained shall apply to policies of excess liability carriage secured by employers who have been approved by the Commission as self‑insurers, or | |
(4) Make some other provision, satisfactory to the |
| Commission, for the securing of the payment of compensation provided for in this Act, and | |
(5) Upon becoming subject to this Act and thereafter |
| as often as the Commission may in writing demand, file with the Commission in form prescribed by it evidence of his or her compliance with the provision of this Section. | |
(a‑1) Regardless of its state of domicile or its principal place of business, an employer shall make payments to its insurance carrier or group self‑insurance fund, where applicable, based upon the premium rates of the situs where the work or project is located in Illinois if:
(A) the employer is engaged primarily in the |
| building and construction industry; and | |
(B) subdivision (a)(3) of this Section applies to |
| the employer or the employer is a member of a group self‑insurance plan as defined in subsection (1) of Section 4a. | |
The Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission shall impose a penalty upon an employer for violation of this subsection (a‑1) if:
(i) the employer is given an opportunity at a |
| hearing to present evidence of its compliance with this subsection (a‑1); and | |
(ii) after the hearing, the Commission finds that |
| the employer failed to make payments upon the premium rates of the situs where the work or project is located in Illinois. | |
The penalty shall not exceed $1,000 for each day of work for which the employer failed to make payments upon the premium rates of the situs where the work or project is located in Illinois, but the total penalty shall not exceed $50,000 for each project or each contract under which the work was performed.
Any penalty under this subsection (a‑1) must be imposed not later than one year after the expiration of the applicable limitation period specified in subsection (c) of Section 6 of this Act. Penalties imposed under this subsection (a‑1) shall be deposited into the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission Operations Fund created under Section 4 of the Workers' Compensation Act.
(b) The sworn application and financial statement, or security, indemnity or bond, or amount of insurance, or other provisions, filed, furnished, carried, or made by the employer, as the case may be, shall be subject to the approval of the Commission.
Deposits under escrow agreements shall be cash, negotiable United States government bonds or negotiable general obligation bonds of the State of Illinois. Such cash or bonds shall be deposited in escrow with any State or National Bank or Trust Company having trust authority in the State of Illinois.
Upon the approval of the sworn application and financial statement, security, indemnity or bond or amount of insurance, filed, furnished, or carried, as the case may be, the Commission shall send to the employer written notice of its approval thereof. Said certificate of compliance by the employer with the provisions of subparagraphs (2) and (3) of paragraph (a) of this Section shall be delivered by the insurance carrier to the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission within 5 days after the effective date of the policy so certified. The insurance so certified shall cover all compensation liability occurring during the time that the insurance is in effect and no further certificate need be filed in case such insurance is renewed, extended or otherwise continued by such carrier. The insurance so certified shall not be cancelled or in the event that such insurance is not renewed, extended or otherwise continued, such insurance shall not be terminated until at least 10 days after receipt by the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission of notice of the cancellation or termination of said insurance; provided, however, that if the employer has secured insurance from another insurance carrier, or has otherwise secured the payment of compensation in accordance with this Section, and such insurance or other security becomes effective prior to the expiration of said 10 days, cancellation or termination may, at the option of the insurance carrier indicated in such notice, be effective as of the effective date of such other insurance or security.
(c) Whenever the Commission shall find that any corporation, company, association, aggregation of individuals, reciprocal or interinsurers exchange, or other insurer effecting workers' occupational disease compensation insurance in this State shall be insolvent, financially unsound, or unable to fully meet all payments and liabilities assumed or to be assumed for compensation insurance in this State, or shall practice a policy of delay or unfairness toward employees in the adjustment, settlement, or payment of benefits due such employees, the Commission may after reasonable notice and hearing order and direct that such corporation, company, association, aggregation of individuals, reciprocal or interinsurers exchange, or insurer, shall from and after a date fixed in such order discontinue the writing of any such workers' occupational disease compensation insurance in this State. It shall thereupon be unlawful for any such corporation, company, association, aggregation of individuals, reciprocal or interinsurers exchange, or insurer to effect any workers' occupational disease compensation insurance in this State. A copy of the order shall be served upon the Director of Insurance by registered mail. Whenever the Commission finds that any service or adjustment company used or employed by a self‑insured employer or by an insurance carrier to process, adjust, investigate, compromise or otherwise handle claims under this Act, has practiced or is practicing a policy of delay or unfairness toward employees in the adjustment, settlement or payment of benefits due such employees, the Commission may after reasonable notice and hearing order and direct that such service or adjustment company shall from and after a date fixed in such order be prohibited from processing, adjusting, investigating, compromising or otherwise handling claims under this Act.
Whenever the Commission finds that any self‑insured employer has practiced or is practicing delay or unfairness toward employees in the adjustment, settlement or payment of benefits due such employees, the Commission may after reasonable notice and hearing order and direct that after a date fixed in the order such self‑insured employer shall be disqualified to operate as a self‑insurer and shall be required to insure his entire liability to pay compensation in some insurance carrier authorized, licensed and permitted to do such insurance business in this State as provided in subparagraph (3) of paragraph (a) of this Section.
All orders made by the Commission under this Section shall be subject to review by the courts, the review to be taken in the same manner and within the same time as provided by Section 19 of this Act for review of awards and decisions of the Commission, upon the party seeking the review filing with the clerk of the court to which said review is taken a bond in an amount to be fixed and approved by the court to which said review is taken, conditioned upon the payment of all compensation awarded against the person taking the review pending a decision thereof and further conditioned upon such other obligations as the court may impose. Upon the review the Circuit Court shall have power to review all questions of fact as well as of law. The penalty hereinafter provided for in this paragraph shall not attach and shall not begin to run until the final determination of the order of the Commission.
(d) Upon a finding by the Commission, after reasonable notice and hearing, of the knowing and wilful failure of an employer to comply with any of the provisions of paragraph (a) of this Section or the failure or refusal of an employer, service or adjustment company, or insurance carrier to comply with any order of the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission pursuant to paragraph (c) of this Section the Commission may assess a civil penalty of up to $500 per day for each day of such failure or refusal after the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1989. Each day of such failure or refusal shall constitute a separate offense.
Upon the failure or refusal of any employer, service or adjustment company or insurance carrier to comply with the provisions of this Section and orders of the Commission under this Section, or the order of the court on review after final adjudication, the Commission may bring a civil action to recover the amount of the penalty in Cook County or in Sangamon County in which litigation the Commission shall be represented by the Attorney General. The Commission shall send notice of its finding of non‑compliance and assessment of the civil penalty to the Attorney General. It shall be the duty of the Attorney General within 30 days after receipt of the notice, to institute prosecutions and promptly prosecute all reported violations of this Section.
(e) This Act shall not affect or disturb the continuance of any existing insurance, mutual aid, benefit, or relief association or department, whether maintained in whole or in part by the employer or whether maintained by the employees, the payment of benefits of such association or department being guaranteed by the employer or by some person, firm or corporation for him or her: Provided, the employer contributes to such association or department an amount not less than the full compensation herein provided, exclusive of the cost of the maintenance of such association or department and without any expense to the employee. This Act shall not prevent the organization and maintaining under the insurance laws of this State of any benefit or insurance company for the purpose of insuring against the compensation provided for in this Act, the expense of which is maintained by the employer. This Act shall not prevent the organization or maintaining under the insurance laws of this State of any voluntary mutual aid, benefit or relief association among employees for the payment of additional accident or sick benefits.
(f) No existing insurance, mutual aid, benefit or relief association or department shall, by reason of anything herein contained, be authorized to discontinue its operation without first discharging its obligations to any and all persons carrying insurance in the same or entitled to relief or benefits therein.
(g) Any contract, oral, written or implied, of employment providing for relief benefit, or insurance or any other device whereby the employee is required to pay any premium or premiums for insurance against the compensation provided for in this Act shall be null and void. Any employer withholding from the wages of any employee any amount for the purpose of paying any such premium shall be guilty of a Class B misdemeanor.
In the event the employer does not pay the compensation for which he or she is liable, then an insurance company, association or insurer which may have insured such employer against such liability shall become primarily liable to pay to the employee, his personal representative or beneficiary the compensation required by the provisions of this Act to be paid by such employer. The insurance carrier may be made a party to the proceedings in which the employer is a party and an award may be entered jointly against the employer and the insurance carrier.
(h) It shall be unlawful for any employer, insurance company or service or adjustment company to interfere with, restrain or coerce an employee in any manner whatsoever in the exercise of the rights or remedies granted to him or her by this Act or to discriminate, attempt to discriminate, or threaten to discriminate against an employee in any way because of his exercise of the rights or remedies granted to him by this Act.
It shall be unlawful for any employer, individually or through any insurance company or service or adjustment company, to discharge or to threaten to discharge, or to refuse to rehire or recall to active service in a suitable capacity an employee because of the exercise of his or her rights or remedies granted to him or her by this Act.
(i) If an employer elects to obtain a life insurance policy on his employees, he may also elect to apply such benefits in satisfaction of all or a portion of the death benefits payable under this Act, in which case, the employer's premium for coverage for benefits under this Act shall be reduced accordingly.
(Source: P.A. 93‑721, eff. 1‑1‑05.) |