Peoria County Belwood Nursing Home v. Industrial Commission

The critical issue in this appeal is whether an injury sustained as the result of work-related repetitive trauma is compensable under the Workers’ Compensation Act absent one precise, identifiable incident which a court may label an “accident.” Based upon the purpose of the Workers’ Compensation Act (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1983, ch. 48, par. 138.1 et seq.) (hereafter the Act) and recognizing the new and changing nature of the employment environment, we hold that such injuries, when the claimant’s burden of proof has been met, are compensable under the Act.

We emphasize initially that our decision…