The New Jersey Superior Court’s Appellate Division upheld the denial of a caregiver’s request to amend her complaint as well as the dismissal of her claims against her alleged employers. Case:…

The Supreme Court of New Hampshire ruled that an employer or insurance carrier that has been denied reimbursement from the Special Fund for Second Injuries is entitled to a hearing before…

The Delaware Supreme Court upheld a denial of benefits to a poultry plant worker for his occupational disease claim based on a COVID-19 infection. Case: Fowler v. Perdue Inc., No. 412, 2023,…

The Delaware Superior Court upheld the denial of coverage for an Amazon employee’s back surgery, finding that his workplace injury did not necessitate the operation. Case: Hoskins v. Amazon.com, No. N23A-06-004…

The Nebraska Court of Appeals upheld the denial of a worker’s claim because she failed to demonstrate a causal connection between her alleged injuries and her workplace accident. Case: Chavez v. Tyson…

Squaring numbers can have surprising consequences

At the Ryan-Harley site, archeologists reconstruct the ice age landscape of the Wacissa River, where early Floridians left artifacts.

The Indiana Court of Appeals upheld a denial of benefits for a university employee with significant preexisting health problems for her alleged injuries from walking to her workplace. Case: Ostrowski v.

The District of Columbia Court of Appeals overturned the denial of a university employee’s claim for injuries from a collision with a jogger as she walked along a public sidewalk…

The District of Columbia Court of Appeals suspended for nine months an attorney with a long disciplinary history. Nelson Gonzalez is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia and New Jersey. He has been…

The District of Columbia’s highest court ruled that the Office of Administrative Hearings lacks authority to review penalty calculations by the Office of Risk Management. Luigi Buitrago injured his back in…

The District of Columbia’s high court overturned the denial of a former professional soccer player’s claim for benefits for a right knee injury allegedly caused by a decades-old injury to her…

The Illinois Appellate Court overturned a denial of benefits for the son of a worker who died of a heart attack. Richard Cronk worked for Kimball Hill Homes as a construction manager.

A federal appellate court upheld the dismissal of an insurance carrier’s garnishment claim against another carrier seeking to collect a default judgment against an employer for a workers’ compensation claim. Case:…

The Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania upheld the denial of a widow’s claim for a truck driver’s fatal heart attack. Case: Dnistranskiy v. Brite Logistics Inc. (WCAB), No. 414 C.D. 2023, 05/10/2024,…

The Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania upheld the denial of a worker’s claim for benefits based on his industrial lead exposure. Case: Mercer v. Active Radiator MPN Inc., No. 1326 C.D. 2023,…

The Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania rejected an injured municipal employee’s constitutional challenges to the state's new impairment rating process. Case: Epps v. City of Philadelphia (WCAB), No. 835 C.D. 2023, 07/08/2024,…

The Pennsylvania Superior Court upheld the dismissal of an insurance carrier’s breach-of-contract claim against a third-party claims administrator and a malpractice action against the former attorney for the carrier. Case: Pyramid…

The Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania upheld a determination that a union painter’s direct employer was liable for his benefits but was entitled to a pension offset — and that the worker had…

The Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania ruled that a pension offset is not available when the retiree returns to work for a former employer on a part-time basis and suffers an…

The Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania upheld the denial of a municipal employer’s petition to convert an injured worker’s status from temporarily totally disabled to temporarily partially disabled. Lamont Turner worked for…

The Missouri Court of Appeals overturned a denial of Second Injury Fund benefits to a long-time aircraft mechanic with a multitude of injuries. James Eckardt spent over 40 years working as…

The California Senate unanimously passed a bill that would allow carriers to continue using debit cards to pay benefits for another two years. The Senate on Monday voted 38-0 to pass…

The Governing Committee for the Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau will review pending legislative, regulatory and judicial actions during a Sept. 25 meeting. Committee members will hear reports on the annual…

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill allowing electronic signatures in the state’s workers’ compensation system. Newsom on Sunday signed AB 2337, by Assemblymember Diane Dixon, R-Newport Beach. As introduced, the…

A federal appellate court ruled that a contractor who hired a crane company’s services was immune from civil liability for injuries suffered by an employee of the crane company. Case: Hall v.

The Georgia Court of Appeals upheld the dismissal of a widow’s challenge to the denial of her claim for death benefits as time-barred. Case: Coffman v. Barnsley Consulting Group, No. A24A0740,…

A federal appellate court has again ruled that a contractor was immune from civil liability for injuries suffered by an employee of a crane company it hired. Case: Hall v. SAC…

The Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled that if a worker is injured as a passenger in an employer-owned vehicle, and workers’ compensation exclusivity precludes a recovery under the automobile liability policy, the…

A divided Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled that an employee who injures a colleague must be acting within the course and scope of employment when the incident occurs to receive the…

A federal appellate court upheld a finding that a worker’s coal mine employment caused his pneumoconiosis. Case: Lance Coal Corp. v. OWCP, No. 23-3779, 05/09/2024, unpublished. Facts: Virgil Combs worked for Lance…

The U.S. Department of Labor on Tuesday said it adopted a new rule updating its hazard communication standard that takes effect July 19. The revised rule requires labels on small packages…

A divided federal appellate court overturned an award of black lung benefits to a coal miner based on an administrative law judge’s misapplication of the burden of proof for a legal…

A federal appellate court upheld the denial of a coal miner’s third claim for black lung benefits. Case: Hitt v. OWCP, No. 23-1916, 08/15/2024, unpublished. Facts: Robert Hitt worked in the coal…

A federal appellate court ruled that an injured longshoreman who has hearing loss in one ear and bilateral tinnitus is properly compensated at the statutory rate. Case: Total Terminals International LLC…

The Hartford Courant on Thursday reported that the New York State Workers’ Compensation Board alleges a congressional candidate from Connecticut owes $52,102 in fines and penalties for allegedly operating a…

The Virginia Court of Appeals upheld the denial of a worker’s claim for an injury from falling as she turned to speak to a colleague. Case: O’Brien v. Northern Virginia Community…

The West Virginia Supreme Court clarified the proper method for apportioning preexisting impairments that have been definitely ascertained and impact multiple body parts. Case: Logan-Mingo Area Mental Health Inc. v. Lester,…

The West Virginia Supreme Court upheld an award of benefits for a janitor who contracted Legionnaires’ disease. Case: Scottish Rite Bodies of Charleston v. Weese, No. 22-0427, 06/10/2024, published. Facts: Thomas W. Weese worked…

The West Virginia Supreme Court overturned an award of permanent partial disability benefits to an injured worker, finding that it was improperly based on the opinion of a doctor who failed…

The West Virginia Supreme Court upheld the denial of a doctor’s request to expand a worker’s claim to add post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety as compensable conditions. Case: Travers v. Blackhawk…

The West Virginia Supreme Court upheld the denial of a worker's request for additional benefits and the expansion of her claim. Case: Martin v. Wal-Mart Associates Inc., No. 23-115, 08/01/2024, published. Facts: Irene Martin…

The West Virginia Supreme Court upheld the denial of a worker’s request for additional treatment and benefits, and the expansion of his claim. Case: Hankins v. Sprouting Farms Corp., No. 22-919,…

The West Virginia Supreme Court upheld a denial of permanent partial disability benefits to an injured worker. Case: Underwood v. West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, No. 23-118, 08/01/2024,…

West Virginia’s Intermediate Court of Appeals upheld the denial of a widow’s claim for benefits, finding her late husband’s occupational pneumoconiosis had not materially contributed to his death. Sherman Bailey received…

West Virginia’s Intermediate Court of Appeals upheld the denial of a worker’s request to expand his claim to include additional conditions. Case: Justice v. Transwood, No. 24-ICA-57, 09/04/2024, unpublished. Facts: Keven Justice…

West Virginia’s Intermediate Court of Appeals ruled that a worker was not entitled to expand the scope of his claim to include additional conditions. Case: Hawkins v. Bimbo Bakeries Inc., No.

The West Virginia Supreme Court upheld the denial of a worker’s occupational pneumoconiosis claim. Case: Lewis v. Columbia West Virginia Corp., No. 23-616, 09/23/2024, published. Facts: Jackie W. Lewis Sr. worked for…

The West Virginia Supreme Court upheld the denial of permanent partial disability benefits for a worker with a back injury. Case: Helmandollar v. Blackhawk Mining LLC, No. 23-430, 09/30/2024, published. Facts: Marion Helmandollar…

The West Virginia Supreme Court upheld the denial of a request to expand the scope of a worker’s claim and for additional imaging. Case: Cook v. Cecil I. Walker Machinery Co.,…