Article: Ex-alderman's son was off work 9 years Series: Clout's Sick List: a Sun-Times Investigation Day Two of a Three-Day Series

For nine years, until he died in a fire, Christopher Pucinski collected disability checks from the city.

The only son of the late Ald. Roman Pucinski got more than $320,000 in disability payments since reporting he was injured at work in September 1996, just six weeks after landing his last city job.

How did Pucinski get hurt? The city can't find an accident report, which Pucinski should have filed within five days to get workers compensation benefits.

The city settles most workers comp cases. But Pucinski didn't have a claim to settle: He never filed a workers comp claim with the State of Illinois.

"There was no need to because he was receiving benefits," Pucinski's lawyer, George ...

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