WorkersCompensation.com Legislative Update: July 2018 Liz Carey Providence, RI (WorkersCompensation.com) – This year’s legislative session is over in most parts of the country,... read more Work Comp Rebates in OH Join Lower Premiums in Other States Liz Carey Columbus, OH (WorkersCompensation.com) – More than 180,000 Ohio businesses should start to see rebate checks from... read more Rousmaniere: Faces from 9/11 Peter Rousmaniere The Sept. 11, 2001 attack on the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center blasted thousands... read more CDC: More than 22M People Are Exposed to Noise Risks at Work Phil Yacuboski Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Hearing loss is America’s most common workplace-related injury, according to the Centers... read more The WCIRB Reports Julius Young Each year the WCIRB prepares a report on California workers’ compensation losses and expenses during the... read more Breakout for Risk Management Steve Rissman, WCI Program Chair For some time now, the WCI Conference has boasted of having the best risk management breakout... read more Coming to WCI? Help Kids’ Chance Give Kids the World WorkersCompensation.com President and CEO Bob Wilson (Bob’s Cluttered Desk) Every year the Workers’ Compensation Institute, as part of their annual educational conference in Orlando, holds... read more FL Officials Arrest 12 Unlicensed Contractors in Sting Operation Liz Carey Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Florida officials announced the arrest of a dozen unlicensed contractors during a... read more Risky Business: Fireworks Employees at Much Less Risk than Fireworks Consumers Liz Carey Slatington, PA (WorkersCompensation.com) – On June 30, 2017, an ignition malfunction at a Pennsylvania fireworks company... read more Rousmaniere: Making Sense of the Turmoil Over Immigration Peter Rousmaniere First, take a long view. About every half century since the late 19th century the United States... read more Alternative Therapies Gain Ground, But Still Have a Long Way to Go Liz Carey Asheville, NC (WorkersCompensation) – As state workers’ compensation commissions and insurance agencies look to combat the... read more Industry Keynote Panel Steve Rissman, WCI Program Chair Following in the footsteps of last year’s industry keynote, Kimberly George from Sedgwick and Mark Walls... read more Major Supreme Court Decision Will Affect Public Sector Employees, and Could Reach Private Sector Workers in the Future Dara Barney A big Supreme Court ruling today (5-4) states that public sector employees won’t be required to... read more Workplace Shooting at MD Newspaper Liz Carey Annapolis, MD (WorkersCompensation.com) – At least five are dead, and two others wounded, in another workplace... read more OK Supreme Court Rules On AMA Guide; PPD Liz Carey Oklahoma City, OK (WorkersCompensation.com) – The Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 opinion Wednesday that... read more Risky Business: Circus Performers at Lower Risk of Injury or Accident; but Many Companies Don’t Carry Work Comp, per Industry Expert Liz Carey Los Angeles, CA (WorkersCompensation.com) – In the nine years that Doug Miller’s company, Zen Arts, has... read more Who Will Win This Year’s Theme Contest? Workers’ Compensation Institute WCI’s exhibitors went “all in” with last year’s movie theme in the exhibit hall. Many exhibitors... read more TX: Former TDI Work Comp Commissioner Passes Baton to Previous Gov. Policy Advisor Dara Barney Austin, TX (WorkersCompensation.com) – At just 37 years old, Ryan Brannan has reached new heights on... read more AIA and PCI Announce Merger Discussions Liz Carey Washington, DC (WorkersCompensation.com) – Two of the insurance industry’s biggest professional organizations announced they will enter... read more Rousmaniere: How Spinal Cord Injury Care Has Improved Peter Rousmaniere Tom, a Colorado firefighter on a rescue mission in 1990, survived a severe work accident that... read more WV Supreme Court Rules Insurance Companies Can’t Reclaim Overpayments Liz Carey Charleston, WV (WorkersCompensation.com) – The West Virginia Supreme Court ruled this week that insurance companies who... read more Black Lung Fund, to Help Ailing Miners, is in Trouble, Per Report Liz Carey Washington, DC (WorkersCompensation.com) – While incidents of black lung disease are on the rise, a new... read more Technology Integration: Working to Improve Comp Claims Chriss Swaney Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – New and improved technologies aim to streamline workers’ compensation programs for everything... read more AIA and PCI Announce Merger Discussions Liz Carey Washington, DC (WorkersCompensation.com) – Two of the insurance industry’s biggest professional organizations announced they will enter... read more CA Labor Commission: Cheesecake Factory Liable for Unpaid Wages; Damages to 559 Janitors Liz Carey San Diego, CA (WorkersCompensation.com) – Cheesecake Factory restaurants in Southern California may be liable for any... read more First Responders See Progress in 32 States for Comp Coverage Chriss Swaney Tallahassee, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Legislative efforts to make it easier for first responders to receive workers’... read more 4-1-1 on Comp: Marijuana Dispensaries and Workers’ Compensation Bruce Burk Honolulu, HI (WorkersCompensation.com) – Even though many states have legalized marijuana on a recreational or medical... read more The Burning Question – What can be done to Prevent and Treat Burns? Dr. Zaydon Introduction According to the American Burn Association, almost half a million patients go to the Emergency... read more Appeals Court Overturns KS Work Comp Rule Liz Carey Topeka, KS (WorkersCompensation.com) – The Kansas Court of Appeals ruled Friday that a change to workers’... read more Panic Buttons: CA Preps to Add New Protections for Hotel Workers Chriss Swaney Sacramento, CA (WorkersCompensation.com) – California lawmakers are working to approve a new law (AB1761) designed to... read more Celebrities Tapped for Labor Law Violations Liz Carey Los Angeles, CA (WorkersCompensation.com) – Not even celebrities are immune from workers’ compensation and labor law... read more 4-1-1 on Comp: Social Media and Misrepresentation Defenses in Work Comp Bruce Burk Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Anyone who’s anyone has a Facebook these days. To most people, social... read more Insureon Study: Nearly One Third of Small Businesses Don’t know if They Need Comp Coverage Liz Carey Columbus, OH (WorkersCompensation.com) – According to a new poll by Insureon, 26 percent of small businesses... read more San Francisco City Attorney Asks Uber and Lyft for Driver Wage Info Liz Carey San Francisco, CA (WorkersCompensation.com) – In a move some say may be a pre-cursor to deeming... read more Another Rate Decrease Julius Young Advisory California workers’ comp rates are set to decline effective July 1, 2018 per a recent... read more Cracks Found in Bridge Hours Before Deadly Collapse Dismissed by Officials, per NTSB Liz Carey Sweetwater, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Cracks found on the Florida International University bridge that collapsed in March... read more Engaged Employees Have Lower Accident Rates and Absenteeism, Per a Recent Study Liz Carey Williamstown, MA (WorkersCompensation.com) – Manufacturers whose employees are more engaged in their jobs see fewer accidents,... read more Building a Better Recovering Worker – The Advocate, The Adversary and The Addled Bob Wilson I am in Washington State this morning for the second time in just over 2 weeks.... read more NY Inspector General Charges 10 Companies with Work Comp/Medicaid Fraud Liz Carey ‘Corridor of Corruption’ Albany, NY (WorkersCompensation.com) – Rides that were never given. Patient kickbacks. No workers’... read more WV Appeals Court Upholds Denial of Work Comp Benefits to Widow Liz Carey Charleston, WV (WorkersCompensation.com) – The West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals has upheld a Workers’ Compensation... read more Italian Hacking Group Attacks NM’s Work Comp Website Liz Carey Santa Fe, NM (WorkersCompensation.com) – In mid-May, New Mexico’s Workers’ Compensation Administration (WCA) became the latest... read more Expensive Payments and High Insurance Rates Chriss Swaney Is Work Comp Under Fire, and What are We Doing About it? Springfield, IL (WorkersCompensation.com) –... read more Hospital Violence is on the Rise Liz Carey Chicago, IL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Hospital workers say the level of violence directed toward nurses and doctors... read more Kids’ Chance of Florida to Support WCI Give Kids the World Service Day WorkersCompensation.com Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Kids’ Chance of Florida will be supporting the Workers’ Compensation Institute Service... read more HI: Kilauea Takes Away Wages, but There’s Been Only One Injury So Far Liz Carey Pahoa, HI (WorkersCompensation.com) – After weeks of lava flowing from Kilauea, thousands are out of work... read more Liberty Mutual Report: Serious Workplace Injuries Cost Businesses $1B Per Week Liz Carey Boston, MA – According to a new report from Liberty Mutual Insurance, serious workplace injuries cost... read more TX: Corporate and Personal Injury Attorney Will Spend Ten Years in Prison after Recruiting Niece as ‘Mole’ in $26M Work Comp Fraud Scheme Phil Yacuboski Dallas, TX (Workerscompensation.com) – A Dallas area attorney has pleaded guilty to a scheme netting more... read more Rousmaniere: Who Are These Injured Immigrants? Peter Rousmaniere What is it like to be a low-wage immigrant worker in the US and suffer a... read more Eruptions on HI’s Big Island Endanger Workers with Sulphur Gas, Possible Lava Boulders Liz Carey Hilo, HI (WorkersCompensation.com) – As the eruption of Kilauea volcano continues into its second week, Hawaii... read more What is a Diversity/Inclusion Director, and What Does It Mean for Work Comp? Cindy Ferraino Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – When the American Disabilities Act (ADA) was created in 1990, it was... read more Former NFL Player, Survivor Contestant Heads to Court for Work Comp Fraud Liz Carey Los Angeles, CA (WorkersCompensation.com) – Former professional football player Brad Culpepper will head to court for... read more The Conservative Care Debate: Can it Help Address Pain, and Combat the Opioid Crisis? Cindy Ferraino Columbus, OH (WorkersCompensation.com) – With a focus on reducing the amount of lumbar back surgeries as... read more Teachers Face Violence in the Classroom Liz Carey West Fargo, ND (WorkersCompensation.com) – Kijesta Molch, a fifth grade teacher with West Fargo Public Schools,... read more Fix to Federal Work Comp Plan Starts with Opioid Restrictions, Panel Says Liz Carey Washington, DC (WorkersCompensation.com) – Attacking the opioid epidemic at the federal level starts with limiting the... read more Big News at Kids Chance: One Paradigm Exec is Honored with Service Award, and Another Steps Up as Organization’s New President Dara Barney Detroit, MI (WorkersCompensation.com) – Kids Chance of America, an organization that works to award scholarships to... read more CA Supreme Court Makes It More Difficult to Classify Workers as Contractors Liz Carey San Francisco, CA (WorkersCompensation.com) – A ruling yesterday in the California Supreme Court could change the... read more Jackson Will Not Return as President’s Physician; May Face Pentagon Scrutiny Liz Carey Washington, DC (WorkersCompensation.com) – Ronny Jackson, President Donald Trump’s former nominee to be head of the... read more Social Media Helps Investigators Find Fraud in Work Comp Liz Carey Long Beach, CA (WorkersCompensation.com) – In 2014, it was social media that helped the California worker’s... read more Trump VA Nominee Jackson Steps Down Amid Allegations Liz Carey Washington, DC (WorkersCompensation.com) – The Trump Administration’s nominee to head the Veterans Administration withdrew his name... read more TX: Home Depot Stands Behind Employee Injured in Shooting; Police Mourn Fallen Officer Liz Carey Dallas, TX (WorkersCompensation.com) – Home Depot officials said they were horrified to learn one of their... read more TN: Waffle House Employees Mourn Coworkers; Hero Raises Money for Employees and Victims Liz Carey Nashville, TN (WorkersCompensation.com) – Employees returned to the Nashville Waffle House where two of their coworkers... read more 4-1-1 on Comp: Upcoding and Workers’ Compensation Bruce Burk Upcoding is the practice of a medical provider billing a medical event on a more expensive... read more Don’t Quit Your Day Job: Universal Basic Income Gets a Reality Check Bob Wilson This week it was announced that Finland, which had launched an experiment deploying “Universal Basic Income,”... read more TN: Waffle House Employee Killed in Shooting Liz Carey Nashville, TN (WorkersCompensation.com) – The weekend Waffle House shooting took the lives of four people, including... read more Airline Employees Injured While Flying Should Be Covered, According to Some Legal Experts Liz Carey Philadelphia, PA (WorkersCompensation.com) – Incidents like Southwest Airline’s engine incident and emergency landing have farther reaching... read more Rousmaniere: The Real Gig Problem for Work Comp Peter Rousmaniere The “gig economy” term, as usually used, refers to disruption to regular employment. There is a... read more As the Gig Economy Expands, Employers Are Cautioned to be Careful Liz Carey Philadelphia, PA (WorkersCompensation.com) – While a federal judge ruled recently that UberBlack drivers cannot be considered... read more Is ‘Upcoding’ a Trending Practice in Work Comp? Phil Yacuboski Scranton, PA (WorkersCompensation.com) – At the Pelicci Pain Relief Center in Scranton, Dr. Leroy Pelicci submitted... read more Reveal.com: Tesla Underreported Employee Injuries Liz Carey Fremont, CA (WorkersCompensation.com) – Tesla underreported employee injuries and didn’t follow standard safety procedures, according a... read more National: Vaping Bans Become More Common as Companies Assess ‘Smoke-Free’ Workplaces Liz Carey Juneau, AK (WorkersCompensation.com) – A statewide smoking ban proposed in Alaska would include provisions to prohibit... read more 4-1-1 on Comp: Vaping in the Workplace Bruce Burk Vaping is the new smoking. Employers are struggling with how to deal with employees using e-cigarettes... read more In Texas, Even the Loss of Leadership is Big Bob Wilson I was somewhat dismayed this week to hear of the announced resignation of Texas Workers’ Compensation... read more MA: Sports Bar Shut Down Over Lack of Work Comp Insurance Liz Carey Lunenburg, MA (WorkersCompensation.com) – A Massachusetts sports bar has been closed and its liquor license has... read more CA: Most of YouTube’s San Bruno Employees OK after Shooting; But May Struggle to get Needed Work Comp Coverage Liz Carey San Bruno, CA (WorkersCompensation.com) – Although few of the more than 1,100 employees of YouTube at... read more TX Work Comp Commissioner Steps Down Liz Carey Dallas, TX (WorkersCompensation.com) – Texas Workers’ Compensation Commissioner Ryan Brannan announced Monday that he would be... read more Rousmaniere: Why Did WCRI Do This Study? Peter Rousmaniere While there’s good progress on opioids, we have to stay attentive to what progress really means.... read more National: President’s War on Opioids Includes Prescription Limits Liz Carey Washington, DC (WorkersCompensation.com) – Among President Donald Trump’s initiatives on curbing the opioid epidemic are plans... read more A Light Goes On at Harvard: Not-So-Independent Contractors Become Employees Jon Coppelman The status of independent contractors is one of the fundamental dividing lines in today’s economy. Independent... read more FL: Bridge Worker Heard Cracks While Strapped in Prior to Collapse; One Other Worker Dead Liz Carey Sweetwater, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – A construction worker injured in the collapse of the Florida International University... read more Cyber Security Continues to Infiltrate Various Industries, Including Work Comp Cindy Ferraino Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – When a claim is initiated in the work comp process, there is... read more An Overdose Death by Any Other Drug Bob Wilson The war on opioids is beginning to show progress, and as we start winning that battle,... read more Hot Seat Recap: What Does It Mean to be Sexually Harassed in the Workplace? Dara Barney Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Everyone talks about sexual harassment and the workplace. But, what are we... read more It’s About that Time: Work Comp Legislative Update Liz Carey KY Workers’ Compensation Reform bill heads to Gov. Matt Bevin for signing. Generally believed to be... read more Alexa, Chief Procurement Officer Robert Wilson I caught a brief article this morning telling us that Amazon, the behemoth online retailer, has plans to... read more Study Links Increased Diesel Exhaust Exposure to ALS in Men National Safety Council Boston, MA — Workers frequently exposed to diesel exhaust may face a higher risk of amyotrophic lateral... read more Hot Seat Q&A: Judge David Langham, Webinar Co-Host Dara Barney WorkersCompensation.com’s next Hot Seat webinar will take place Thursday, March 29 at 2 p.m. ET. It will... read more California Adopts Standard to Protect Hotel Housekeepers from MSDs National Safety Council Oakland, CA — California’s Office of Administrative Law on March 9 approved a workplace health and safety standard... read more Rousmaniere: How Big is the Work Comp Market? Peter Rousmaniere A lot has been said about the maturing of workers’ compensation. The frequency of injuries will... read more Legislation Aims to Permanently Identify Gig Workers as Independent Contractors Liz Carey Nashville, TN (WorkersCompensation.com) – Legislation to permanently identify gig workers as independent contractors is gaining ground... read more CA Woman Convicted of $525,000 in Workers’ Compensation Fraud Liz Carey Modesto, CA (WorkersCompensation.com) – A California temporary employment agency owner has pleaded no contest to charges... read more Council: WV ALJ Roush Stays, But Has to be Nicer Liz Carey Charleston, WV (WorkersCompensation.com) – The council overseeing the workers’ compensation program in WV opted not to... read more Coppelman: NCCI’s Experience Rating: Small Insureds, Big Problems Jon Coppelman I have the utmost respect for the number crunchers at NCCI. Through experience rating, they have contrived... read more WV Supreme Court Overturns $1.2M Jury Award Liz Carey Clarksburg, WV (WorkersCompensation.com) – The West Virginia Supreme Court overturned a jury’s decision to give $1.2... read more DOJ Creates Task Force to Combat Opioid Epidemic Liz Carey Washington, DC (WorkersCompensation.com) – Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced last week the Justice Department will create... read more Be Comfortable With Your Weaknesses, But Know What a Weakness Is Robert Wilson It is rare to agree with a person’s argument when you completely differ with the underlying... read more Postal Worker Ordered to Pay Back Hundreds of Thousands in Disability Liz Carey Ocala, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – A former postal worker has been ordered to pay back more than... read more 4-1-1 on Comp: Sexual Harassment and PTSD in Workers’ Compensation Bruce Burk Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Sexual harassment has been in the news lately with multiple media moguls... read more OH: Number of Injured Workers Dependent on Opioids has Decreased Liz Carey Columbus, OH (WorkersCompensation.com) – For six straight years, the number of injured workers in Ohio who... read more Gov. Rauner Talks Work Comp Reform For IL, Part II Liz Carey Springfield, IL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Gov. Bruce Rauner is calling for members of both parties in the... read more Legislatures in Several States Consider Work Comp Reforms Liz Carey Richmond, VA (WorkersCompensation.com) – Last week, the Virginia House of Representatives Commerce and Labor Committee killed... read more Pharmacies Allegedly Use Donations to Buffer Opioid Lawsuit Outcomes Cleveland, OH (WorkersCompensation.com) – As pharmacy companies face lawsuits in 35 states, many are allegedly using... read more Legislators, Businesses: The Time to Work on Gig Economy Protections is Now Seattle, WA (WorkersCompensation.com) – In an open letter to businesses, labor and government, ride-sharing service Uber’s... read more FSU Juris Master WCI and The Florida State University College of Law Partnership Juris Masters Degree For details on... read more
