This week Steve, Robert & Mike discuss George Herbert Walker Bush, Self Driving Cars and all the other News of the Week. Steve discusses his lunch meeting with President &…

This week on Work Comp Matters, Steve, Mark Reed, Robert and Mike talk about the Measles and the anti-vaccine, Police use of force, State Compensation Insurance Fund Utilization Review, and…

A New York appellate court upheld an award of benefits to the widow of a worker who died from COVID-19. Case: Miller v. Transdev Bus on Demand LLC, No. CV-23-0661, 10/10/2024,…

A New York appellate court ruled that a worker was not entitled to benefits for injuries from an alleged assault by a coworker. Case: Matter of Lebeau v. Meet Caregivers Inc.,…

A New York appellate court ruled that a worker was not entitled to summary judgment on one aspect of his Labor Law claim. Case: Urquia v. Deegan 135 Realty LLC,  No. 22340/19,…

CLARA Analytics announced that it hired Eugene Wong as chief financial officer. Eugene Wong Wong brings more than 15 years of finance and operating experience to his new role with the…

A New York appellate court ruled that a worker was entitled to summary judgment on his Labor Law claim based on his injuries from a fall from a cement truck. Case:…

The Iowa Court of Appeals upheld an award of death benefits for a fatal prescription drug overdose saying evidence in the record was equivocal regarding whether the death was accidental…

A New York appellate court ruled that a worker struck by a falling panel should have been granted summary judgment on his Labor Law claim. Case: Macaulay v. New Line Structures…

A New York appellate court upheld a grant of summary judgment for a worker’s Labor Law claim. Case: Molina v. 114 Fifth Avenue Associates LLC, No. 156349/16, 10/15/2024, published. Facts: Jose Molina…

A New York appellate court upheld a grant of summary judgment for a worker’s Labor Law claim based on his fall while working in an elevator shaft. Case: De Souza v.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced the state could receive up to $122 million from Kroger through a settlement that resolves allegations that the grocery chain failed to oversee the…

The Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau will present the findings from its latest study on the variation of claim characteristics in different parts of California during a Dec. 4 webinar. Since…

West Virginia’s Intermediate Court of Appeals upheld an award of 0% permanent partial disability for a worker’s occupational pneumoconiosis. Case: Foster v. Kingston Mining Inc., No. 24-ICA-172, 10/28/2024, published. Facts: Nelson Foster…

A New York appellate court upheld a grant of summary judgment on a worker’s Labor Law claim for his injuries while dismounting a bucket he was using as a makeshift…

A New York appellate court upheld a grant of summary judgment for the State Insurance Fund on its claim for unpaid workers’ compensation premiums. Case: Commissioners of the State Insurance Fund…

A New York appellate court ruled that a worker was entitled to partial summary judgment on his Labor Law claim, and that a third-party defendant should have been granted summary…

A worker collecting benefits for a back injury is facing fraud charges after he was reportedly observed lifting weights at a gym that exceeded the five-pound restriction his physician imposed,…

A New York appellate court overturned an award of damages after a defendant’s default in a Labor Law case, finding the award inadequate. Case: Sharif v. Pritam Property Inc., Nos. 2021-09103…

The Illinois Appellate Court upheld the denial of a disability pension to a police officer who refused surgery to address his injury. Case: Shirley v. Village of Clarendon Hills Police Pension…

A New York appellate court ruled that a worker who fell from a scaffold should have been granted partial summary judgment on his Labor Law claim. Case: Ruiz v. BOP 245…

Join WCC + MTI America for an overview of the latest technologies in our space. Panelists will review new apps and technologies and how they are being used to impact…

Identify specific requirements and common legal challenges for light duty and transitional work assignments. Understand jurisdictional components, litigation trends and case law. Discuss the challenges involved in transitional work assignments including…

CBP is a prevalent, complex, and expensive condition that carries a significant health economic burden in the US. For Injured Workers who experience persistent pain, the ability to participate in…

The Supreme Court of Tennessee’s Special Workers’ Compensation Appeals Panel rejected a constitutional challenge to the statutory construction requirements for the state Workers’ Compensation Law and the statutory definition of an…

The Tennessee Court of Appeals said a series of post-order motions filed by a self-represented injured worker didn’t extend the statute of limitations, so the appeal of the order dismissing…

The Tennessee Court of Appeals ruled that the time frame for an injured worker to sue her doctor for malpractice did not start on the date her workers’ compensation attorney…

The first bill filed ahead of the 2025 legislative session would provide workers’ compensation benefits to Alabama’s public school teachers. Senate Bill 1, by Sen. Sam Givhan, R-Huntsville, would create the…

The Alabama Court of Civil Appeals ruled that a circuit court lacked jurisdiction over a worker’s claim for compensation for a work-related injury and that an individual member of the…

A federal appellate court ruled that a coal miner was entitled to a presumption that he was totally disabled due to pneumoconiosis, and it upheld an award of black lung…

An Ohio appellate court ruled that a worker was not entitled to relief from a decision rendered after a hearing she did not attend because she had not received the…

An Ohio appellate court issued a limited writ of mandamus directing the Industrial Commission to determine a worker’s entitlement to temporary total disability benefits for a period of unemployment. Case: State…

An Ohio appellate court rejected an employer’s challenge to a loss-of-use award to a worker who underwent a partial surgical amputation of his foot. Case: State ex rel. Randstad North America…

An Ohio appellate court upheld an award of permanent partial disability benefits for a cancer-stricken firefighter. Case: State ex rel. City of Cincinnati v. Industrial Commission, No. 23AP-332, 10/17/2024, published. Facts: Michael…

The Kentucky Court of Appeals upheld an award of benefits to an injured assembly line worker, plus medical benefits and a three-multiplier. Case: General Motors LLC v. Smith, No. 2024-CA-0367-WC, 07/12/2024,…

The Kentucky Court of Appeals upheld a reduction in a worker’s award of temporary total disability benefits to eliminate compensation for the time after he was terminated up until he…

The Kentucky Court of Appeals ruled that a worker’s claim for permanent total disability benefits had to be sent back to an administrative law judge for further findings. Case: Alden Resources v.

The Kentucky Court of Appeals upheld the denial of coverage for a worker’s opioid medication. Case: Howell v. Floyd County Board of Education, No. 2024-CA-0122-WC, 10/18/2024, unpublished. Facts and procedural history: Judy…

A Florida appellate court ruled that a judge of compensation claims erroneously calculated a minor league baseball player’s average weekly wage. Austin Sodders entered into a seven-year minor league contract with…

A police officer in Clearwater, Florida, was arrested after investigators allegedly observed him engaging in activities that contradicted the limitations he cited when seeking workers’ compensation benefits and a disability…

Florida’s Statewide Nominating Commission for Judges of Compensation Claims will meet Aug. 19 in Orlando to interview judges for reappointment. The following judges are being considered for reappointment: William Anderson; Robert…

Federal prosecutors in Florida announced that five people were indicted on fraud charges for an alleged labor contracting scheme that was structured to avoid payroll taxes and comp coverage. The U.S.

A Florida appellate court ruled that an employer should have been granted a continuance after its medical expert expressed an unforeseen change in opinion shortly before the scheduled hearing on…

The Industrial Commission of Arizona announced that Joanna Martelles was chosen to serve in the newly created position of Safety and Health Program manager. The new position will be tasked with…

A Louisiana appellate court ruled that a worker injured while participating in a jousting demonstration was exempt from coverage under the state Workers’ Compensation Act as a “performer.” Case: McKeane v.

A Louisiana appellate court overturned a judge’s decision approving a worker’s change of physician but upheld the denial of the employer’s request for a forfeiture of benefits. Case: Southern v. Servpro…

A Louisiana appellate court ruled that an injured firefighter’s benefits were wrongly reduced and that he was entitled to full reinstatement, plus an award of penalties and attorney fees. Case: Prevost…

The Kansas Court of Appeals rejected a widower’s constitutional challenges to the lack of a jury trial in workers’ compensation matters and the statutory cap on the benefits payable for…

The Kansas Court of Appeals ruled that an injured worker failed to prove that his employer’s payroll met the statutory threshold for coverage under the state Workers Compensation Act. Case: Romero v.

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration fined a Wisconsin waste management company $367,410 for violations identified during the investigation of a workplace injury. OSHA said a worker at John’s Disposal Services,…