The Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania upheld a finding that a worker sustained a compensable aggravation of his preexisting lumbar spine degenerative disease and lumbar radiculopathy. Case: Chester Water Authority v. Swiggett,…

A bill that would require some doctors performing utilization review to be licensed in the state was brought back to life after spending roughly a year on the California Assembly’s…

The California Assembly passed a bill that would require some doctors who perform utilization reviews to be licensed in the state. The Assembly on Thursday voted 54-13 to pass SB 636,…

California lawmakers closed out the 2024 legislative session by passing a bill that would allow electronic signatures on all work comp documents, and a bill requiring that doctors who do utilization review on claims…

The California Coalition on Workers’ Compensation opened registration for its 21st annual Conference, Legislative and Educational Forum. The three-day event will feature four general sessions and 15 breakout discussions about issues…

The California Division of Workers’ Compensation on Tuesday announced that it reopened its district office in San Bernardino, which had been closed since late July to fix an inoperable air conditioner. The…

The California Division of Workers’ Compensation opened registration for its 32nd annual Educational Conference that will be held in March. The conference is the largest work comp training event in the…

California Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed bills that would have required some utilization review doctors to be licensed in the state and would have increased salaries for fraud investigators at the…

The California Division of Workers’ Compensation opened a second 15-day comment period on a proposal to incorporate Medi-Cal’s reimbursement rules into its pharmacy fee schedule. In addition to technical corrections, the…

The California Applicants’ Attorneys Association opened registration for its annual winter convention, which will be held in Las Vegas Jan. 23-26. Panelists speaking during the conference will cover a variety of…

The owner of a Georgia tax preparation business was charged with 23 counts of insurance fraud and two counts of deceptive practices for allegedly selling workers’ compensation insurance without being…

AppliedVR appointed Michael Marsau as its executive director of workers’ compensation. Michael Marsau Marsau is overseeing the launch of the company’s flagship RelieVRx prescription therapeutic into the workers’ compensation market, the…

A federal appellate court upheld a worker’s convictions and sentence to embezzlement and workers’ compensation fraud. Case: U.S. v. Holmes, No. 23-4700, 06/21/2024, unpublished. Facts and procedural history: Federal prosecutors in South…

The International Association of Industrial Accident Boards and Commissions opened registration for its 2024 Judicial Program being held Oct. 29-30. The program, presented by IAIABC with the National Association on Workers’…

The U.S. Labor Department said it received more than $350,000 in back wages for workers at a Michigan construction company who were misclassified as contractors and for a truck driver…

The Workers Compensation Research Institute opened registration for its 2025 annual Issues and Research Conference being held March 6-7 in Phoenix. Ramona Tanabe WCRI said it will present findings from its…

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 National Council on Compensation Insurance said that after several years of ignoring broader economic patterns, medical inflation in the third quarter followed the softening trend in overall inflation. The softening…

The Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission opened registration for its 2024 Education Conference and Exhibition in October. The conference provides instruction on rules, procedures, policies and forms used in the state’s comp system.

The Virginia Court of Appeals upheld a determination that a firefighter with an aortic aneurysm had presumptively occupational heart disease. Case: Hanover County v. Moore, No. 0715-23-2, 07/09/2024, unpublished. Facts: Scott Moore…

The West Virginia Intermediate Court of Appeals ruled that the Workers’ Compensation Board of Review erred in applying the standard of compensability for occupational pneumoconiosis to a widow’s claim for…

West Virginia’s Intermediate Court of Appeals overturned the closure of a worker’s claim and ordered that additional evidence be developed as to his preexisting conditions and whether they contributed to his…

West Virginia’s Intermediate Court of Appeals upheld the denial of a referral to a neurosurgeon for evaluation of a condition that had not been accepted as compensable in a worker’s claim. Case:…

The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry opened registration for a mandatory rehabilitation provider update webinar being held Sept. 13. The webinar will cover topics including a department update, legislative and rule…

The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry announced that it will open registration Monday for its one-day Workers’ Compensation Summit set for Oct. 29. Session topics will include a legislative update…

A Texas appellate court ruled that an employer’s alleged administrative violations did not prevent it from presenting and prevailing on its exclusivity defense. Robert Lane worked for Odle Inc. After he allegedly suffered…

The Texas Division of Workers’ Compensation opened registration for its Workers’ Compensation Conference being held virtually in October. The conference will feature sessions covering topics that include artificial intelligence, average weekly…

A Texas appellate court dismissed an insurance carrier’s challenge to a trial judge’s finding of compensability for a worker’s death, ruling that the judgment entered had been void. Case: Texas Mutual…

The Mississippi Supreme Court ruled that an employer’s optional medical examination is not a reimbursable expense from a worker’s third-party recovery. Case: Brent v. Mississippi Department of Human Services, No. 2022-CT-00529-SCT,…

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The California Workers' Compensation Appeals Board is moving lien claims to the Oxnard district office to cut down on the amount of claims that have piled up at Los Angeles,…

The Claims Specialist's Start Guide: CA Adjuster Cert Process, Historical Overview, Organizational Structure of WC System, WC Terms and Concepts, Basic Benefits & TD and SJDB Vouchers.

This training will provide attorneys and physicians with everything you need to know about the medical-legal issues involved in "psyche" cases - from the initial diagnosis through the discovery process to the separate…

The WCAB has repeatedly made it clear that a lien claimant has the burden to prove all the necessary elements before it may recover anything in connection with its lien.

This program will discuss all pertinent laws, skills and tools for lien issues starting January 2017. Instructors will provide guidance on pre-trial preparations, burden of proof and trial pointers. A…

"Work Comp Matters" - the central location for all your workers' compensation, employment and labor law matters. Steve Appell hosts this weekly podcast from sunny southern California - presenting some…

New for 2017 - learn all pertinent laws, skills and tools for lien issues starting January 2017. Specific focus will be applied to liens, costs and med-legal disputes in…

"Work Comp Matters" - the central location for all your workers' compensation, employment and labor law matters. Steve Appell hosts this weekly podcast from sunny southern California - presenting some…

This program provides updates for all pertinent laws, skills and tools for lien issues starting January 2018. Instructors will focus on liens, costs and med-legal disputes. This course will support…

This program provides the essential updates for the year 2018 on the topic of liens. The instructors will focus their teachings on the tools and skills for the entire spectrum…

This program focuses on how to use data. Linda Lane will share a strategy that builds a customized network that achieved the "Triple Aim" of workers' compensation - which is…

Are we doing enough in the workers compensation industry to innovate by incorporating technology and data into our daily business processes? What can we use today to drive innovation and…

Improving Communication in Workers' Compensation…

The Nevada Workers’ Compensation Section opened registration for free online training classes that will be held in January. The WCS is holding a basic orientation session Jan. 8 that will cover…

West Virginia’s Intermediate Court of Appeals upheld a finding of compensability for a worker’s back injury. Case: Toyota Motor Manufacturing WV Inc. v. Adkins, No. 24-ICA-181, 10/28/2024, unpublished. Facts: Donnie Adkins worked…

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…

This program will include vital liens updates for the entire spectrum of workers' compensation professionals. Law, procedure and important changes will be covered in detail. The panel introduces will also…

Join Michael Stack as he presents this interactive course on the Workers' Compensation system. Our program is intended to give 6 hours of foundational insight to those new to the…

This is a four-hour MCLE program that addresses the specific issues of the prosecution and defense of cases involving employee leasing companies, general-special employment law, and handling cases when the…

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…