Illinois Company Fined 10k for Lack of Workers Comp Insurance

 Posted on December 21, 2013 in Personal Injury

A Chicago company president has become the second employer to plead guilty to a Class 4 felony for failing to obtain workers compensation in Illinois, and has been ordered to pay a $10,000 penalty by the Illinois Workers Compensation Commission (IWCC).

According to the Insurance Journal, the fine has been levied against John Linek as an individual employer and as the president of SMS Logistics of Chicago. The Insurance Compliance Unit of the IWCC had been working the case against the trucking firm since 2010 in conjunction with the Cook County Sheriff’s Office and the Cook County State Attorney’s Special Prosecutions Division.

The IWCC also obtained a Class 4 felony conviction against Ahmed Ghosien, d/b/a of Ghosien European Auto Werks in Hometown, IL for failing to obtain workers compensation insurance in the same case. That conviction was obtained when Ghosien pled guilty to the charges on July 25, 2013, and represents the first conviction of its kind in Illinois. Authorities have stated that both individuals had been given numerous opportunities to obtain the required insurance, but both persistently refused to comply with IWCC requests.

According to Illinois law, a Class 4 felony carries penalties of up to three years in the state penitentiary and/or fines of up to $25,000.

According to Illinois state law, every employer involved in construction, transportation, mining and certain industrial work is required to carry workers compensation insurance to cover employee injures received in the course of their duties. Filing a workers compensation claim may be intimidating, but there is no reason to try to navigate the process alone. Contact a qualified Illinois personal injury attorney today. We can help you correctly file your claim to ensure that you can receive the compensation you need to cover your medical expenses and any time off work you’ve had to take.