Country Mutual Insurance v. Wagner's Bulldozing

Plaintiff Country Mutual Insurance Company filed a declaratory judgment complaint against defendants, Wagner’s Bulldozing and Ruth Wagner, widow of Wayne Wagner, seeking a determination it had no responsibility to defend Wagner’s Bulldozing or pay any benefits to Ruth Wagner under a standard workers’ compensation insurance policy issued to Wagner’s Bulldozing. Judgment was entered in favor of plaintiff and defendants appeal. At issue is an interpretation of several amendments to the Workers’ Compensation Act (Act) (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1987, ch. 48, par. 138.1 et seq.), which became effective in…