Many Quad-Citians remains without power following last week’s storm. High winds toppled trees and damaged electrical lines resulting in a large swath of residential and business power outages as well as knocking out street and traffic lights. Already, there have been a number of car crashes at intersections with non-working lights, which continue to present… Read More »
Workers’ Compensation for Covid-19
In the early months of the pandemic sweeping the nation, many Iowa City meatpacking plant employees were infected with the corona virus with a dozen hospitalized and two deaths. Recent findings point to a more serious level of infection than previously reported, with over a thousand workers falling ill. With the pandemic still raging on… Read More »
Workers’ Compensation While Working From Home
Many who work remotely can attest to the many distractions and interruptions that occur when working from home. From demanding kids to a revolving door of maintenance workers and all the stuff in between, many who work at home do so in sometimes short and extended spurts – logging in work hours when the time… Read More »
Iowa Firework Injuries on the Rise Following Legalization
Not long after the sale and use of consumer fireworks were legalized in Iowa in 2017, the number of fireworks related injuries went up when compared to preceding years. The severity of the injuries, the number of teens injured while handling fireworks, and the number of bystanders injured all rose presumably due to easier access… Read More »
U.S. Supreme Court Rules on Sexual Orientation Discrimination
In a 6-3 decision the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that an employer who terminates an employee, or otherwise discriminates against them because they are gay or transgender, is violating Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which protects employees from discrimination on the basis of sex as well as race, color, religion and national origin.… Read More »
New Iowa Law Protects Businesses and Healthcare Providers From Covid-19 Liability
Iowa lawmakers have passed legislation to protect businesses and health care providers from Corona virus-related lawsuits and sent the bill to Governor Kim Reynolds to sign. Employers and operators of businesses as well as health care providers who follow CDC guidelines – occupancy restrictions, social distancing, and increased disinfection efforts to name a few –… Read More »
Accidents Caused by a Failure to Use Turn Signal
Although turn signals are standard safety equipment in every motor vehicle and motorists are required by law to use them to signal turns and lane changes, a recent study reveals that many Americans neglect to activate their turn signals resulting in more traffic accidents than distracted driving. Drivers who do not use their turn signals… Read More »
Drive Safely – 2020 Motorcycle Season Now Underway
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), motorcycle fatalities decreased nearly 5 percent in 2018. While it is heartening to see the number of motorcyclists seriously injured in traffic accidents declining, motorcycle riders are still over represented in traffic fatalities which should remind everyone on the road to take precautions as the 2020… Read More »
Returning to Work During Covid 19 – What Are My Rights?
With many states reopening, many employees may be nervous about returning to work. If you feel that your boss is calling you back too soon, is there anything you can do? Many Americans were furloughed or worked from home during the early weeks of the pandemic and are fearful of returning to the workplace as… Read More »
When Workers Return Will Companies Liable for Covid-19?
Under the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration requires employers to provide a safe workplace, free from serious hazards, complying with standards rules and regulations issued under the OSH Act. As pressure mounts to reopen the economy, employers are feeling the heat to protect their employees from the known hazards of Covid-19. In a recent… Read More »