A Naplate, Illinois mayor faces possible charges regarding an incident that resulted in a police officer drawing workers’ compensation. The incident involved the mayor and a local police officer, and apparently resulted in the police officer being injured. The state prosecutor is considering charges against the mayor for the incident in which the officer became eligible for workers’ compensation.
While many of the specifics of the traffic incident are not known, it has been reported that the officer filed two traffic complaints against the mayor at the time for reckless driving and driving without a valid license. No official criminal charges were formally filed after the incident, however. According to a report from the police, the injured officer was dragged by a vehicle driven by the mayor for 100 feet at a low rate of speed. The injuries sustained left the officer unable to work and he has been drawing workers’ compensation since the time of the accident.
The mayor refused sobriety tests at the time and there were several eyewitnesses, though none of them have been contacted by the prosecutor. According to the report, the officer was taken to a local hospital where he was diagnosed with injuries to his forearm. He had severe pain in his shoulder and has undergone two surgeries since the time of the accident. He filed a workers’ compensation claim stating that the inability to work is directly related to the accident.
Since the time of the accident, the mayor has never publicly commented on the incident. Neither the officer nor eyewitnesses would comment for a recent report. That report indicated that, in addition to the workers’ compensation claim, the injured officer has consulted with a Chicago, Illinois attorney.
Workers’ compensation is available to any eligible worker who is injured while performing their regular duties. There seems to have been clear grounds for the officer to get compensation, since his claim was granted. Workers’ compensation benefits can often significantly improve the financial well-being of a worker who suffers significant injuries on the job during the time they are unable to work.
Source: mywebtimes.com, “State prosecutor close to a decision on charges against Naplate mayor,” Steve Stout, April 10, 2013
