Article ID: 94d8a23312422ef04bbfabd074a71e73dddcb060e2d88d6306800d513f8974a6
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Illinois court overturns $165K comp medical award - Business Insurance Skip to content Register for free Search Search Log In Risk Management Cyber Risks Pricing Trends Mergers & Acquisitions Technology Sponsored Content WSIA RISKWORLD Workers Comp & Safety Workers Comp Cost Control Pain Management Workplace Safety International EMEA Asia-Pacific Latin America People Events BI Intelligence Top 100 Agents & Brokers Best Places to Work 2026 Lists Directories Insurance Pricing BI Stock Index Magazine Current Issue Past Issues Subscribe Women to Watch ALL INsurance Resources Risk Perspectives Sponsored Content Webinars White Papers Risk Management Cyber Risks Pricing Trends Mergers & Acquisitions Technology Sponsored Content WSIA RISKWORLD Workers Comp & Safety Workers Comp Cost Control Pain Management Workplace Safety International EMEA Asia-Pacific Latin America People Events BI Intelligence Top 100 Agents & Brokers Best Places to Work 2026 Lists Directories Insurance Pricing BI Stock Index Magazine Current Issue Past Issues Subscribe Women to Watch ALL INsurance Resources Risk Perspectives Sponsored Content Webinars White Papers Risk Management Cyber Risks Pricing Trends Mergers & Acquisitions Technology Sponsored Content WSIA RISKWORLD Workers Comp & Safety Workers Comp Cost Control Pain Management Workplace Safety International EMEA Asia-Pacific Latin America People Events BI Intelligence Top 100 Agents & Brokers Best Places to Work 2026 Lists Directories Insurance Pricing BI Stock Index Magazine Current Issue Past Issues Subscribe Women to Watch ALL INsurance Resources Risk Perspectives Sponsored Content Webinars White Papers Risk Management Cyber Risks Pricing Trends Mergers & Acquisitions Technology Sponsored Content WSIA RISKWORLD Workers Comp & Safety Workers Comp Cost Control Pain Management Workplace Safety International EMEA Asia-Pacific Latin America People Events BI Intelligence Top 100 Agents & Brokers Best Places to Work 2026 Lists Directories Insurance Pricing BI Stock Index Magazine Current Issue Past Issues Subscribe Women to Watch ALL INsurance Resources Risk Perspectives Sponsored Content Webinars White Papers Illinois court overturns $165K comp medical award by Louise Esola Coverage Disputes , Workers Comp Coverage , Workplace Safety Sep 4, 2026 An Illinois appeals court overturned a $165,353 workers compensation medical award and more than $46,000 in legal fees and costs, ruling that an injured worker was entitled only to reimbursement for amounts actually paid to his medical providers. In Jenkins v. McLaughlin Body Co., the Appellate Court of Illinois, Fourth District, ruled Wednesday that a lower court improperly based its judgment on the face value of Cory Jenkins’ medical bills rather than the negotiated amounts paid by his health insurer. Mr. Jenkins sustained a compensable workplace injury in 2016 while employed by McLaughlin Body Co. A workers compensation arbitrator ordered the company to pay his related medical bills pursuant to state law. The medical providers originally billed $165,353.54, but UnitedHealthcare, which insured Mr. Jenkins through a subsequent employer, paid $47,594.83 after negotiated reductions and write-offs. Mr. Jenkins also made out-of-pocket payments, and several bills remained unpaid. A Rock Island County judge entered judgment against McLaughlin for the full billed amount and later awarded Mr. Jenkins $41,316.32 in attorney fees and $5,651.22 in costs. The appeals court said the lower court effectively overruled the arbitrator’s direction that the bills be paid under certain sections of the law that limit an employer’s liability to the negotiated rate or to another applicable statutory amount. Requiring McLaughlin to reimburse Mr. Jenkins for the original charges rather than the amounts accepted by the providers would give him a “windfall,” the court said. The court rejected Mr. Jenkins’ argument that using the amount paid by UnitedHealthcare improperly gave McLaughlin a credit for benefits provided by a plan to which the company had not contributed. The insurer’s payment was not a deduction from McLaughlin’s obligation, the court said. Rather, it established the amount of the obligation because the providers had accepted it in satisfaction of their bills. The court also overturned the attorney fee and cost awards, finding no evidence that McLaughlin refused to pay the compensation it owed. The company had issued a $54,546.05 check covering the medical reimbursement and interest, but Mr. Jenkins rejected it because he disputed the calculation. Related News Nepal floods could cost insurers over $130 million September 4, 2026 US opens probe into Tesla Cybercab compliance with federal safety rules September 4, 2026 The BI Top 10 for the week of Aug. 31, 2026 September 4, 2026 Lloyd’s first-half profit falls 17% September 4, 2026 Marine insurers face $2B in Iran war claims September 4, 2026 Reinsurers eye acquisitions as surplus capital grows September 4, 2026 Substantial underwriting deterioration needed to reverse price softening: Howden Re September 4, 2026 El Niño threatens extreme weather through early 2027 September 4, 2026 Marsh appoints new Japan reinsurance CEO September 4, 2026 Facebook-f X-twitter Linkedin-in Business Insurance is a singular, authoritative news and information source for executives focused upon risk management, risk transfer and risk financing. 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