Du Quoin Workmen Compensation losses saw 'biggest turnaround in state' in 2014

In what Illinois Public Risk Fund workmen's compensation risk assessor Brad Hoffman is calling "the biggest turnaround in Illinois" the City of Du Quoin's loss claims have plummeted from $761,769 in the year 2011 down to only $659 in 2014 under city administrator Brad Myers.

Myers credits the staff's safety consciousness and safety meetings for the unprecedented turnaround which has dropped in each of the years since 2011.

Losses by the numbers show:

16 claims in 2011: $761,000.

10 claims in 2012 : $535,158.

7 claims in 2013: $6,778.

1 claim in 2014: $659.

0 claims in 2015

The large early claims had to deal with the death of Du Quoin firefighter Corey Shaw when a wall collapsed while fighting a fire in Pinckneyville and an injury to a water department employee. Other claims were substantially less. Du Quoin fire Chief Bob Shaw--Corey's father--has made it a personal mission to have the best trained firemen in the state since that accident.

The large payouts came at a price in terms of a five-year rolling premium schedule that saw insurance premiums of $186,000 in 2013, $309,522 in 2014 and $305,196 in $2015.

Premiums are expected to drop by $50,000 or more next year as the city's accident and injury losses subside.