SPRINGFIELD, Ill. • An Illinois House committee voted tonight to abolish the state's workers compensation system and send injured workers to the circuit court system to settle claims, potentially abandoning months of reform negotiations promised to cut employer costs and clean up abuse.

Putting the nuclear option on the table does not signal a halt to negotiations among the business interests, trial lawyers, labor and medical communities, said state Rep. John Bradley, D-Marion, who sponsored the bill. Talks are ongoing, but blowing up the system is an option to be taken seriously, he said.

"Sometimes it's easier to start from scratch, then to try to fix something that's so broken," Bradley said. "We are continuing to work. There could be an announcement in the next matter of days, you know, or hours. But in the meantime, until we feel confident and comfortable doing that, we're going to continue to move this into place."

The Democrat declined to say whether the move was intended to put pressure on the parties involved in the brokering.

House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago has previously endorsed the measure, and Bradley believes there is significant support.

Abolishing the system would send thousands of new cases to the courts each year. Workers would have to prove their injuries before a judge, rather than the arbitrators that currently decide cases.

Allegations of fraud and abuse have plagued the state's worker's compensation system, one of the most expensive for employers throughout the nation, and Gov. Pat Quinn has promised business leaders action before the legislature adjourns May 31.

Bradley's proposal is SB1933.