Latest Illinois Headlines

All the headlines from our Illinois Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Insurer Alleges Robotic Surgery Firm Lied About Claims

Nov 1 2013 // Intuitive Surgical Inc., the maker of robotic surgery devices targeted by patient lawsuits, was sued by an insurer alleging the company hid the number of legal claims it might face when buying product liability...

Keystone Insurers Group: Nicoud Insurance Is First Illinois Franchise Partner

Oct 31 2013 // Keystone Insurers Group has welcomed Springfield-based Nicoud Insurance Services as its first franchise partner in Illinois.The announcement was made jointly by the agency’s owners, Jim Hillestad and Tim Nicoud, and...

Illinois Workers’ Compensation Medical Care Costs Declining: WCRI

Oct 28 2013 // The costs of medical care to treat injured workers in Illinois are declining, the result of regulatory change enacted in 2011, according to a new study by the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI).The report,...

Illinois Insurance Brokers Frustrated with Health Care Law

Oct 25 2013 // Insurance brokers in Illinois vented their frustrations recently with the troubled rollout of President Barack Obama’s health care law and the crippled federal website, HealthCare.gov.Dozens attended a meeting with...

Eyeing Affluent Market, Crestbrook Ready to Launch in Illinois

Oct 24 2013 // Well-to-do Illinois residents and their insurance agents can soon look forward to another option when it comes to protecting their assets.Crestbrook Insurance has selected Illinois for the launch of what is essentially a...

Illinois Bills Call for Stiffer Penalties for Boating DUI

Oct 22 2013 // Illinois lawmakers are considering a series of measures aimed at making the state’s waterways safer, including a bill that would impose stiffer penalties on people caught operating a boat while intoxicated.The...

Lack of Fire Protection Closes Illinois Haunted Houses

Oct 17 2013 // Two Halloween haunted houses in west central Illinois won’t be operating this year because organizers aren’t able to meet state fire safety rules. The Register-Mail in Galesburg reports that Gilson Haunted...

20 Tornadoes Recorded in Illinois so Far This Year

Oct 11 2013 // Illinois has received only a third of the number of tornadoes typically recorded over the course of a year, weather officials said.The (Springfield) State Journal-Register reports there have been 20 reports of tornadoes in...

Analysis: Health Insurance Prices for 3 Illinois Households

Oct 10 2013 // How much will an Illinois fast food cook pay for insurance under President Barack Obama’s health care law? How about a preschool teacher? Or a freelance writer?Price information has been difficult to come by because...

Illinois State Police Catch Shaving, Texting Drivers

Oct 4 2013 // Illinois State Police say a man who was shaving was one of dozens of people stopped by officers patrolling a Chicago expressway for distracted drivers. While state troopers only issued the shaver a warning, spokeswoman...

Illinois Farm Deaths at Lowest Level in 35 Years

Sep 23 2013 // The number of laborers and others killed in accidents on Illinois farms is falling.The (Champaign) News-Gazette reports that the number of fatalities in the 12 months ending June 30 was the lowest in 35 years. According to...

New Rules for Civil Settlement in Illinois: What Defendants and Insurers Need to Know

Sep 20 2013 // On August 26, 2013, Gov. Quinn signed into law Public Act 098-0548, which amends the Illinois Code of Civil Procedure, and creates a new statutory section addressing settlements and liens in civil cases.The new statute,...

Illinois Man Gets 12-Year Sentence For Fatal Huffing Crash

Sep 11 2013 // A north-central Illinois man was sentenced to 12 years in prison after Henry County prosecutors say he was huffing chemicals before a high-speed rollover crash that killed three teenagers.Morgan Blakey was convicted of...

Illinois Based Company Fined $185K for Injury at Wisconsin Plant

Sep 11 2013 // Federal safety officials fined an Illinois-based company more than $185,000 after a worker suffered severe burns at the same northern Wisconsin plant where five people have been killed since 2008.Packaging Corp. of America...

Proof of Insurance Law Puzzling Some Illinois Police

Sep 3 2013 // A new Illinois law that allows motorists to provide proof of insurance using their smartphones is puzzling some police departments.The Springfield bureau of Lee Enterprises reports some law enforcement agencies are still...

Major Insurance Exchange Company Expanding in Illinois

Aug 30 2013 // A major Illinois health insurance exchange has announced plans to double its workforce to serve those shopping for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act.GoHealth LLC announced it plans to create 450 additional...

Illinois Workers’ Comp Insurance Rate Down 4.5 Percent

Aug 21 2013 // The rate used to calculate workers’ compensation insurance premiums has dropped again, a direct result of reforms Gov. Pat Quinn signed into law in 2011, his aides said.The National Council on Compensation Insurance,...

Illinois Governor Signs Gun Law on Background Checks, Thefts

Aug 20 2013 // Illinois gun owners who fail to report the theft or loss of a weapon will face tougher restrictions under a new law signed by Gov. Pat Quinn.The law closes a background check loophole for the sale or transfer of a firearm...

New Illinois Law Aims to Help Prevent Flooding by ‘Going Green’

Aug 15 2013 // Gov. Pat Quinn has signed legislation to help Illinois communities prevent flooding by “going green.”Quinn signed the bill in the Chicago suburb of Orland Park, one of the communities hit hard by flooding this...

NCCI Files for 4.5% Decrease in Illinois Work Comp Advisory Rates

Aug 9 2013 // The National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) has filed for an 4.5 percent decrease in voluntary advisory insurance rates in Illinois, effective Jan. 1, 2014. The Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission...