6-18-2025; KCB&A Celebrates Another Great Year!!!: Oregon WC Premium Study Released; IL WC Settlement Fair and more

Synopsis: Keefe, Campbell, Biery & Associates celebrates another great year and more than two decades in WC/GL and Employment Law Defense!

Editor’s comment: Happy Anniversary to our KCB&A Defense Team!!! We couldn’t have done it without great clients and support. It has been more than two decades of teaching and fighting and settling within authority and all the great things a solid defense firm does. We combine our demanding skills at rapidly settling accepted claims with fighting the bad ones along with teaching and presenting and answering all the simple and complex questions you have for us.

We listen carefully to changing notions of what “successful claims practice” can and should be. We work with just about every IL, IN, WI, MI and IA insurance carrier and their claims adjusters/managers want and we listen and learn. Starting back just after Y2K, we get better and better at handling your needs.

If we can ever be of assistance, contact John Campbell at jcampbell@keefe-law.com or Shawn Biery at sbiery@keefe-law.com and get the inside scoop!! You can also reply to this email….

Synopsis: The Oregon WC Insurance Premium Ratings Are Out and Illinois is Not Great in the Standings But Not That Bad!!

Editor’s comment: Every other year, the State of Oregon issues their stat-rat values for what State has high WC costs and how all States relate to each other. The reason this may be important is the fact there are no true “guidelines” on what is a justifiable number to compare the statistical cost of WC in each of the 50 states

The most expensive state is now Hawai’I, followed by ‘Joisey’ (or New Jersey), New York and California. Veterans will confirm the high costs are due to systems that are employee focused.

Illinois is mildly realistic at number 13. From my perspective as your editor, I feel this standing may continue to get worse and worse but there is no way to accurately predict that. Most folks feel the Illinois WC system with mandatory spiraling TTD/PPD rates is going to catch up and pass other States. We are sure the IL minimum wage will soon be at $20 an hour and won’t stop there. We also feel the IL WC system is strong on settling claims high but sooner. We do feel our IL Arbitrators/Commissioners are diligent and fair.

The Oregon WC Premium Rating Study is here: Department of Consumer and Business Services : General workers' compensation system/premium rate ranking : Worker protection reports : State of Oregon

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Synopsis: NOTICE TO IL EMPLOYERS, WC INSURANCE CARRIERS, THIRD PARTY CLAIMS ADMINISTRATORS, AND COUNSEL ON BOTH SIDES

Editor’s comment: Please be advised the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission (IWCC), in collaboration with the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Association (WCLA), will co-host a Settlement Fair on July 16 and 17, 2025, at the IWCC Hearing Rooms located in the Richard J. Daley Center, Chicago.

Those EMPLOYERS, INSURANCE CARRIERS, and THIRD PARTY CLAIMS ADMINISTRATORS who wish to participate are encouraged to contact IWCC Chief of Staff Annette Roti (annette.roti@illinois.gov ) to schedule a time, a date, and a Hearing Room for their settlement meetings. Your Counsel may likewise schedule a time with Ms. Roti.

The Settlement Fair will take place each day from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the IWCC Hearing Rooms at the Daley Center.

Our KCB&A defense firm joins with the IWCC members and our colleagues on the other side in the hope component parties will take advantage of this opportunity to help move multiple cases forward to reasonably closure efficiently.

The goal is “reasonable closure” and we hope if the parties can’t get there between each other, then they can reach out to our Arbitrators for guidance.

We appreciate your thoughts and comments. Please post them on our award-winning blog.