WCI News & Insights

Even in the Worst of Times WCI Supports Give Kids the World

Jim McConnaughhay, Co-Founder And General Chair Of WCI

Having to postpone the Annual Workers’ Compensation Conference after 30+ years of sponsorship by the Workers’...

Ohio Man Denied Benefits For Not Returning To The Work Force, Ohio Supreme Court Says

Liz Carey

Columbus, OH (WorkersCompensation.com) – A former postal worker was denied permanent total disability benefits last week...

Over Half Of COVID-19 Cases Undetected in Healthcare Workers

F.J. Thomas

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – According to the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report released this week by the U.S....

Intoxication, Wrong Route Don’t Show Pilot Died During Deviation

Frank Ferreri

Denver, CO (WorkersCompensation.com) – Although a pilot was intoxicated and had not returned to his hotel...

Harriet Harried the Claims Handler’s ‘Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day’ Explained

Nancy Grover

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – One of the most significant side effects of the current pandemic on...

Manager Claims ‘Unsafe Work Culture’ Leading To Injuries, Death At Wind Turbine Site

Liz Carey

Rainier, WA (WorkersCompensation.com) – A former safety and health manager with a wind turbine project in...

Cybersecurity – Don’t be Burned by That Hot Stove

Bob Wilson

Cybersecurity has been a rapidly rising topic of late, not just for the workers’ comp industry,...

Ill. Woman Gets 27 Years For Stabbing Uber Driver

Liz Carey

Skokie, IL (WorkersCompensation.com) – A 19-year-old woman has been sentenced to 27 years in prison for...

What Do You Think: Was Newspaper Carrier Contractor or Employee?

Frank Ferreri

Harrisburg, PA (WorkersCompensation.com) – A newspaper carrier injured himself on an icy driveway while delivering papers....

Texas Pain Management Physicians Pay Out $450,000 In Billing Fraud Allegations

F.J. Thomas

Houston, TX (WorkersCompensation.com) – Medical coding guidelines and rules change on a continual basis, requiring providers...

CDC Issues New Guidance For Employers On Dealing With Anti-Mask Customers

Liz Carey

Atlanta, GA (WorkersCompensation.com) – The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention has issued new guidance...

Rating Bureaus Collaborate on Nationwide ‘Mega Claims’ Report

Nancy Grover

Oakland, CA (WorkersCompensation.com) – Are there more ‘mega claims’ in workers’ compensation these days? And are...

Employers Urged to Consider Substance Abuse Strategies as Employees Return

Nancy Grover

Secaucus, NJ (WorkersCompensation.com) – The latest drug test results do not bode well for the workforce...

9th Cir. Upholds Presumption for Federal Nuclear Site Contractors

Frank Ferreri

Seattle, WA (WorkersCompensation.com) – Workers cleaning up federal nuclear sites may face a number of long-term...

Report Shows Disc Arthroplasty Top Billed Code in An ASC

F.J. Thomas

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – For many years only a certain number of surgical procedures were approved...

Cuomo Files Opioid Charges Against Two More Pharmaceutical Companies

Liz Carey

Albany, NY (WorkersCompensation.com) – The New York State Department of Financial Services has filed charges against...

Federal Contractor Will Pay Female Employees Over $300K To Settle Wage Discrimination

Toni Sutton-Deangelica

St. Joseph, MO (WorkersCompensation.com)- A a global pharmaceutical company and federal contractor has agreed to pay...

Cybersecurity, workers’ comp and the defense supply chain

Jim McConnaughhay, Co-founder and General Chair of WCI

I recently read an article in the Orlando Florida Business Journal describing a letter that a local employer...

An Arm and a Leg: Pricing a Prosthesis

By: Dale Berry, CP, FAAOP, LP, Orchid Medical

According to The National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI), the costliest lost-time workers’ compensation claims by...

5-Minute IME Doesn’t Defeat Massage Necessity Claims

Frank Ferreri

Concord, NH (WorkersCompensation.com) – Is it reasonable and necessary for an employee to up and move...

Better Efficiencies in the WC System Could Result from COVID-19

Nancy Grover

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Workers’ compensation stakeholders have had to quickly change many of their processes...

Pharmacy Chains Face Lawsuits For Refusing to Fill Opioid Prescriptions

F.J. Thomas

Providence, RI (WorkersCompensation.com) – The The The opioid epidemic has long been center stage of the...

Irish Pub Will Pay Restitution To Employees After Wage Theft Investigation

Toni Sutton-Deangelica

Lexington, MA (WorkersCompensation.com) – Operators of a Massachusetts restaurant chain have been ordered to pay $125,000...

Violence Against Employees Driven By COVID Fatigue

Liz Carey

Langhorne, PA (WorkersCompensation.com) – As reports of violence against workers continue, Dr. George Vergolias, believes it’s...

WCI Virtual Recap

Julie Fetherman

The Workers’ Compensation Institute (WCI) strives to be the premier conference where the industry can come...

East Kentucky Physician Uses Facebook To Sell Opioids

F.J. Thomas

Pikeville, KY (WorkersCompensation.com) – A Kentucky pain management physician and his wife have pleaded guilty to...

Widow Awarded WC Benefits After Husband’s Suicide

Liz Carey

Saratoga County, NY (WorkersCompensation.com) – The widow of a Saratoga County Sewer District Employee will receive...

Opioids and Workplace Safety: Heed EEOC Rules

Frank Ferreri

Washington, DC (WorkersCompensation.com) – A safe work environment and opioid use don’t exactly go well together,...

Working Parents Present Major Challenges for Organizations During Pandemic

Nancy Grover

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Organizations are adapting to the COVID-19 environment in a variety of ways,...

6th Cir.: CPAP Requirement Doesn’t Create Unsafe Working Condition

Frank Ferreri

Cincinnati, OH (WorkersCompensation.com) — test test A CPAP machine for a truck driver with sleep apnea was an...

Telemedicine Takes Center Stage

Dr. Teresa Bartlett, Managing Director, Senior Medical Officer, Sedgwick

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has thrust telemedicine into the spotlight. When faced with sitting...

Man ‘Not Handling Pandemic Well’ Shoots At Employee Over Mask Appeal

Liz Carey

Bethlehem Township, PA (WorkersCompensation.com) – Attorneys for a Pennsylvania man said he was “not handling the...

Employee Shot For Lottery Tickets

Liz Carey

Garden Ridge, TX (WorkersCompensation.com) – Police in Garden Ridge, Texas are searching for the man they...

Report: COVID-19 Presumptions May ‘Undermine the Grand Bargain’

Nancy Grover

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Lawsuits. Disparate treatment of workers. Companies relocating to other states. Job losses...

Workplace Violence Ranked as Third Highest Cause of Injury In Healthcare

F.J. Thomas

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – According to statistics from OSHA, employers spend $1 billion per week on workers’ compensation...

Seatbelt-less eBay Tractor Seat Doesn’t Show ‘Intentional Misconduct’

Frank Ferreri

Raleigh, NC (WorkersCompensation.com) – While buying a non-OSHA compliant tractor seat without a seatbelt from eBay...

MSA Metrics that Matter

Rita Wilson, CEO
Tower MSA Partners

In the words of Peter Drucker, “You can’t manage what you don’t measure.” This is particularly...

Major Retailers Cite Concerns Over Employee Safety; Say They Won’t Enforce Mask Wearing Policies

Liz Carey

New York, NY (WorkersCompensation.com) – Citing concerns over violence towards their employees, major retailers have said...

Michigan Attorney General Continues Lawsuit Against Opioid Distributors

Liz Carey

Lansing, MI (WorkersCompensation.com) – Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel argued that opioid distributors willfully disregarded processes...

Separate Books, False Payroll Place Workers’ Comp Fraud in Bigger Scheme

Frank Ferreri

New Orleans, LA (WorkersCompensation.com) – The operator of dozens of convenience stores in Louisiana couldn’t separate...

Dot the ‘I’s, Cross the ‘T’s to Avoid Anticipated Costly Medicare Penalties

Nancy Grover

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Forgetting to report the date of a workers’ compensation settlement for a...

Panel of Specialists Issues New Guidelines For Elective Surgeries

F.J. Thomas

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – A new extensive set of guidelines developed by the International Consensus Group (ICM) to...

Speed Kills: Experts Ponder Increasing Rates of Motor Vehicle Fatalities

Nancy Grover

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Traffic roundabouts and narrower lanes to slow the pace of traffic may...

Passenger Attacks Bus Driver With 2×4 After Being Asked To Wear A Mask

Liz Carey

Lubbock, TX (WorkersCompensation.com) – A Lubbock, Texas bus driver was left battered and bleeding after a...

VT: Governor Says COVID Presumption Law Provides ‘Additional Peace of Mind’

Nancy Grover

Montpelier, VT (Workerscompensation.com) – Add Vermont to the jurisdictions with rebuttable presumptions for certain workers who...

‘Out of Proportion’ Pain Reports Curb Request for Therapy, Insoles

Frank Ferreri

Charleston, WV (WorkersCompensation.com) – Physical therapy and custom insoles weren’t in store for a retail sales...

Three-in-10 Men Say Women’s Gains Have Come At Their Cost

F.J. Thomas

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – According to data from the US Bureau Of Labor Statistics, the percentage of women...

Report Shows Healthy, Stable WC Market — Pre COVID

Nancy Grover

Oakland, CA (WorkersCompensation.com) – California has seen approximately 15,000 COVID-19-related workers’ compensation claims for the time...

What Do You Think: Were Workers’ Wife, Children ‘Dependents’ in Final Award?

Frank Ferreri

Kansas City, MO (WorkersCompensation.com) – While a person’s spouse and children typically would be considered “dependents”...

Illinois Candy Manufacturer Cited Fine Over $480K Following Employees’ Injuries

Toni Sutton-Deangelico

Bellwood, IL (Workerscompensation.com)-The long time American candy manufacturer Ferrara Candy Company, best known as the makers...

AMA Asking CDC To Revise Guidelines On Opioid Prescribing

Liz Carey

Atlanta, GA (WorkersCompensation.com) – The American Medical Association is urging the Centers for Disease Control (CDC)...

California Anesthesiologist Implicated in Second Workers’ Compensation Fraud Scheme

F.J. Thomas

Santa Ana, CA (WorkersCompensation.com) – A California physician/ambulatory surgery center owner and his girlfriend have been...

Continuity of Care from Hospital to Post-Acute Care Facility and to Home

Teresa Williams, MSW, LCSW
Chief Executive Officer – Partner
HomeCare Connect

Some injured and ill workers need to transfer from a hospital to a post-acute care (PAC)...

Workers Continue To Experience Food Shortages As Pandemic Rages Stronger Nationwide

Chriss Swaney

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – As cornavirus cases continue to spike in many areas, workers face more...

Families of Meatpacking Plant Workers Sue For Death Benefits

Liz Carey

Waterloo, IOWA (WorkersCompensation.com) – The families of three meat processing plant workers who died of Covid-19...

Ransomware Attacks Are Costing Healthcare Even With Appropriate Measures

F.J. Thomas

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Most businesses know that data breaches are usually pretty costly due to...

Former Firefighter Charged With $148k In Workers’ Compensation Fraud

Liz Carey

Santa Barbara, CA (WorkersCompensation.com) – A former Ventura County firefighter has been charged with workers’ compensation...

Foreman’s ‘Willful Disregard’ Of Icy’ Snowy Machine Sends Injury Claims Back To Trial

Frank Ferreri

Cheyenne, WY (WorkersCompensation.com) – A foreman’s knowledge that the area around a spin-straightener was icy and...

WCI 2020 – The Virtual Edition

David Langham, Deputy Chief Judge, Florida Office of Judges of Compensation Claims

There is a cost-free opportunity on the horizon for exceptional workers’ compensation education. This is produced...

myMatrixx Reports Clinical Vigilance And Robust Data Analysis Are Keys To Delivering Reduced Workers’ Comp Drug Spend

Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, rising drug costs continue to grab attention and headlines. In fact,...

Alleged Arsonists Ordered to Pay $135K in Wage Theft to Hookah Lounge Workers

Toni sutton-Deangelico

Philadelphia, PA (WorkersCompensation.com) – Two brothers accused of setting fire to their hookah lounge in 2018...

Santa Ana Police Officer Charged With Workers’ Compensation Fraud

Liz Carey

Santa Ana, CA (WorkersCompensation.com) – A California police officer has been charged with workers’ compensation fraud...

Truck Driver’s Injuries Support $231,046.26 Second Injury Fund Payment

Frank Ferreri

Baton Rouge, LA (WorkersCompensation.com) – The insurance carrier for a Louisiana trucking company was entitled to...

New AAOS Survey Explores Providers’ Surgery Expectations In The Coming Months

F.J. Thomas

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – A new poll from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) provides some insight...

Iglesias: Focus on Employees’ Mental Health and Wellbeing as They Return

Nancy Grover

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Nearly two-thirds of respondents to a recent survey say their stress levels...

Farr Thee Well: Ga. Top Court Overturns Longstanding Lunch Break Precedent

Frank Ferreri

Atlanta, GA (WorkersCompensation.com) – Much has changed since 1935, and in Georgia that includes whether workers’...

Surgeon Completes First Augmented Reality Spine Surgery

F.J. Thomas

Chicago, IL (WorkersCompensation.com) – An event that sounds like a scene straight out of the movie...

Seattle Council Votes To Require Companies to Provide Hazard Pay to Gig Workers

Liz Carey

Seattle, WA (WorkersCompensation.com) – The Seattle City Council voted recently to require Instacart and other food...

$50,000 in Workers’ Comp Benefits Go to Wife in Mass. Divorce Ruling

Frank Ferreri

Worcester, MA (WorkersCompensation.com) – While it’s not common, the world of workers’ compensation law might find...

Governor’s COVID Executive Order Seeks to Address Concerns of Workers and Employers

Nancy Grover

Little Rock, AR (WorkersCompensation.com) – Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s latest executive order regarding COVID-19 does not create a presumption...

Oil Rig Worker Strikes $950,000 Award After Defeating ‘Borrowed Employee’ Defense

Frank Ferreri

Austin, TX (WorkersCompensation.com) – A Texas oil company’s inability to show that it controlled a worker’s...

Defunding Police Makes Job Even More Perilous for Officers and Communities They Serve, Critics Say

Chriss Swaney

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Police officers and the communities they serve will be in danger if...

Seventy Five Percent of Millennials Report Extreme Stress

F.J. Thomas

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Long term stress can have a huge impact on the work place...

Cuomo Goes After Endo For Insurance Fraud, Financial Fraud

Liz Carey

New York City, NY (WorkersCompensation.com) – New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he is going after...

Florida’s Top WC Judge Jumps Ship

Nancy Grover

Tallahassee, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – It’s back to the drawing board for Florida’s governor. The state’s Chief...

NYU Develops Portable App To Score Risk Of COVID-19 Patients

F.J. Thomas

New York, NY (WorkersCompensation.com) – The College of Dentistry at New York University (NYU) announced the development of...

Washington L&I Issues Strict Face-Covering Requirements

Nancy Grover

Tumwater, WA (WorkersCompensation.com) – Many workers in Washington state are under orders to wear certain types...

Companies Re-Think Health and Wellness Programs to Protect Workers from COVID-19

Nancy Grover

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – If there is a silver lining to the COVID-19 pandemic, it may...

Janitor’s At-Work Stroke Tests DC’s Compensability Presumption

Frank Ferreri

Washington, DC (WorkersCompensation.com) – A doctor’s “agnosticism” over how likely it was that a janitor’s job...

New Study Strengthens the Argument for N95 Masks

F.J. Thomas

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – A recent analysis financially backed by the World Health Organization (WHO) that...

For Presumed Compensability, What’s the Difference Between an Executive Order and a State Act?

Frank Ferreri

Stuart, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Anyone tuned in to workers’ compensation news of late has probably seen...

Settlement Signed By Husband Doesn’t Apply To Widow, Court Finds

Liz Carey

Annapolis, MD (WorkersCompensation.com) – A settlement agreement signed by a firefighter doesn’t prevent his widow from...

Former Behavioral Health CFO Sentenced To 37 Months And $3 Million Restitution

F.J. Thomas

Philadelphia, PA (WorkersCompensation.com) – The Eastern District of Pennsylvania Department Of Justice announced that Branden Coluccio of Doylestown...

Employer Liability is Next Battleground in COVID-19 Pandemic

Nancy Grover

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Insurers focused solely on workers’ compensation issues associated with COVID-19 may be...

Virtual Happy Hours Can Help Prepare Remote Employees to Return, Psychologist Says

Nancy Grover

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Employees returning to the workplace after months of working remotely have fears...

Texting as a Touch Point

By Vonesa Wenzel, Managing Partner HomeCare Connect

Texting has woven its way deep into the fabric of American culture, including in the healthcare...

Nevada Law Offers Little Flexibility for Late TTD Payments

Frank Ferreri

Las Vegas, NV (WorkersCompensation.com) – A string of four late payments of temporary total disability benefits...

Employees Face Challenges In Getting WC When Afflicted With Cornavirus, Some Say

Chriss Swaney

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – As more states are changing or reconsidering rules to ensure that nurses,...

Studies Suggest Strategies Could Have An Impact On Secondary Traumatic Stress

F.J. Thomas

Lexington, KY (WorkersCompensation.com)- The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) recently awarded a $3 million grant...

Rx Drug Red Flags, Interventions Can Lead to Claim Settlements, Experts Say

Nancy Grover

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – The older the claim, the higher the costs — especially for prescription...

Texas Family Sues Tyson For WC After Mother Dies Of COVID-19

Liz Carey

Amarillo, TX (WorkersCompensation.com) – A Texas family has filed a lawsuit against the Tyson Plant in...

NJ Transit Auto Accident Shows Conflict In Cutting Insurance Costs, Allowing Subrogation

Frank Ferreri

Trenton, NJ (WorkersCompensation.com) — When the New Jersey legislature set out to reduce the cost of...

Kroger Reverses Course, Offers Staffers ‘Thank You’ Pay

Liz Carey

Cincinnati, OH (WorkersCompensation.com) – Just four days after news spread that Cincinnati-based grocery store chain Kroger...

Ohio Hospital Notifies Patients of Databreach on Website

F.J. Thomas

Ashtabula, OH (WorkersCompensation.com) – A data breach at an Ohio hospital that occurred on January was...

Study Finds Established Companies Don’t Benefit From Investing In Worker Safety

F.J. Thomas

Corvallis, OR (WorkersCompensation.com) – While conventional wisdom in today’s workplace states that an unsafe work environment...

Vigilance: NCCI’s Word of the Year

Nancy Grover

Boca Raton, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Another year of underwriting gains, declining claim frequency and a strong...

Retail Workers Face Violence, Disrespect As States Open Up For Business Again

Liz Carey

Flint, MI (WorkersCompensation.com) – Authorities in Michigan have been investigating the shooting of a retail worker...

Employers Share their Concerns, Plans to Reopen

Nancy Grover

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – The month of May signaled the start of reopening for many businesses....

Researchers Say Workers Who Lost Their Job During Pandemic May Be Replaced During Recovery

F.J. Thomas

Atlanta, GA (WorkersCompensation.com) – Workers who were laid off during the pandemic may be more likely...

South Georgia Telemedicine Operator Charged With $60 Million In Fraud

F.J. Thomas

Savannah, GA (WorkersCompensation.com) – It seems durable medical equipment (DME) and telemedicine have been under the...

OK EMT Recovering from COVID Denied WC

Liz Carey

Cleveland, OK (WorkersCompensation.com) – An Oklahoma paramedic recovering from the coronavirus says her medical bills are...

Nevada OSHA Issus New Guidance On Six-Foot Social Distancing For Construction Job Sites

Toni Sutton-Deangelico

Nevada (WorkersCompensation.com)- Nevada workplace safety regulators have updated a memo that was previously sent out to...

Returning Workers to Buildings Should be Carefully Considered, Observers Say

Nancy Grover

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Bringing employees back to work should be carefully planned in order to...

CA WC Insurer to spend $215 million covering COVID-19

Liz Carey

San Francisco, CA (WorkersCompensation.com) – Officials with California’s State Compensation Insurance Fund say they will pay...

CMS Issues Recommendations for Returning To Elective Procedures

F.J. Thomas

Washington, DC (WorkersCompensation.com) – In response to the COVID-19 crisis, some providers were required to cancel...

WC Regulators Address the State of the Industry, Challenges and Insights During Virtual Town Hall

Nancy Grover

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – The move to virtual workers’ compensation proceedings has been relatively smooth, despite...

Telehealth’s Future In The Wake Of COVID-19

F.J. Thomas

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – With recent rule changes from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services...

WC and COVID-19: Should the Feds Be Involved?

Nancy Grover

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – With states increasingly adopting presumptions for workers who contract the coronavirus to...

Ohio Roofing Contractor Cited Again By OSHA Hit With Over $230K In Fines

Toni Sutton-DeAngelico

Columbus, OH (WorkersCompensation.com)-OSHA has cited a Columbus-based roofing contractor for exposing workers to falls at job...

With Expanded WC Coverage: Who’s Footing the Bill?

Nancy Grover

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – First responders, healthcare workers, and many other ‘essential workers’ are putting their...

Healthcare Workers Hit Hard By COVID-19

F.J. Thomas

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – While hospitals and healthcare facilities are working diligently to improve the lives...

Grocery, Postal Workers Get WC Benefits for COVID-19

Nancy Grover

Frankfurt, KY (WorkersCompensation.com) – “Kentuckians who, because of the nature of their employment, are at risk...

Over Half Of Tennessee Rural Hospitals In Danger Of Shutting Down

F.J. Thomas

Nashville, TN (WorkersCompensation.com) – Even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, rural hospitals were often in the...

Former Navy Employee Charged With WC Fraud

Liz Carey

Raleigh, NC (WorkersCompensation.com) – A former civilian employee of the Navy was charged yesterday with making...

Coronavirus Pandemic Creates Stress, Mental Illness for Workers

Chriss Swaney

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Mental health experts say depression and stress are endemic to the ongoing...

Critical Data Missing In COVID-19 Reporting

F.J. Thomas

Atlanta, GA (WorkersCompensation.com) – With all the data churning that is going on in response to...

CEOs Explain the Changing Face of the WC System During COVID-19

Nancy Grover

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Dramatic drops in claim frequency along with reductions in premium are among...

Hard Rock Hotel Collapse Nets Proposed Fines of More Than $315k from OSHA

Nancy Grover

New Orleans, LA (WorkersCompensation.com) – The deaths of three workers and injuries to 18 others has...

Florida Roofing Accused of Exposing Workers to Fall Hazards, Fined Over $100K

Toni sutton-Deangelico

Melbourne, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) A Florida construction company has been hit with a hefty fine from OSHA...

In-House Hospital Labs Now Being Tracked Daily

F.J. Thomas

Washington, DC (WorkersCompensation.com) – The nation’s hospitals have been asked by the Centers for Medicare &...

RTW Company Navigates The Hurdles of Finding Work During COVID-19

Nancy Grover

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Finding return-to-work opportunities is quickly becoming a nearly insurmountable challenge, as companies...

WCI Annual Workers’ Compensation Conference Update

Jim McConnaughhay, WCI Chair Steve Rissman, WCI Chair of Program Committee Julie Fetherman, WCI Associate Executive...

Keep Workers Active During COVID-19 to Prevent Injuries, Physical Therapy Expert Advises

Nancy Grover

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – One of the biggest enemies to maintaining a normal weight is inactivity....

Umpire Strikes Out in Suit Against MLB

Liz Carey

New York, NY (WorkersCompensation.com) – After nearly 18 years in court, a New York umpire’s case...

Coronavirus Crisis Likely to Change Work as We Know It, Experts Predict

Chriss Swaney

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – As the coronavirus continues to spread, more workers are heading back home...

Medicolegal Experts Debate the Pros, Cons of Virtual Processes

Nancy Grover

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Exposure to COVID-19 at medical facilities where injured workers have been sent...

Telehealth Gets A Financial Boost In the COVID-19 Pandemic

F.J. Thomas

Washington, DC (WorkersCompensation.com) – In a recent announcement by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office...

Florida Essential Services and Activities During COVID-19 Emergency

Not Everyone Has Equal Opportunity to Work From Home

F.J. Thomas

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – With the Coronavirus presenting new logistical hurdles to keep employees and businesses...

Generation Z Appears To Mimic Some Traits That Boomers Use Successfully in Workplace

Chriss Swaney

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – A new survey of more than 1,000 U.S. employees from Reflektive, suggests...

White Paper Explores WC Compensability of COVID-19

Nancy Grover

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Is COVID-19 compensable under workers’ compensation? Maybe. A new white paper from Broadspire, a...

HHS States System Is Safe After Supposed Cyberattack

F.J. Thomas

Washington, DC (WorkersCompensation.com) – According to a recent NextGov report, the head of Health and Human Services (HHS)...

LA Doctor Sentenced to Federal Prison for Workers’ Comp Fraud

Liz Carey

Baton Rouge, LA (WorkersCompensation.com) – Federal authorities announced a 71-year-old doctor will serve 18 months in...

Let Us Be the Leaders of Professionalism, Civility and Human Kindness

Glen Wieland

In these unprecedented times, the Workers Compensation Institute urges civility and cooperation for all those involved...

Keep Employees Engaged, Informed During COVID-19 Threat, Expert Advises

Nancy Grover

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Some of the very same strategies that help keep injured workers engaged...

Inspector Accused Of False Reporting In Hotel Collapse Resigns

Liz Carey

New Orleans, LA (WorkersCompensation.com) – A building inspector who allegedly filed false inspection reports before a...

New Study Shows Nerve Regrowth In Spinal Injuries

F.J. Thomas

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Exciting new research from the Institute of Medical Sciences at the University of...

COVID-19 Drives Up Employee Reimbursement Requests, Report Suggests

Nancy Grover

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Cancelled business trips and cleaning supplies are among the main items pushing...

Failure to Wear A Seatbelt Cause for Claim Denial

Liz Carey

Richmond, VA (WorkersCompensation.com) – A truck driver injured while delivering ice is not eligible for workers’...

WA: Workers’ Comp To Cover Health Care Workers/First Responders With COVID-19

Liz Carey

Seattle, WA (WorkersCompensation.com) – Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said the state is taking steps to ensure...

Crane Operator Okay After Night With A Tornado

Liz Carey

Nashville, TN (WorkersCompensation.com) – Jason Nash got a bird’s eye view of the recent tornado in...

Experts Ponder WC Beyond Opioids

Nancy Grover

Boston, MA (WorkersCompensation.com) – Take some athletic tape, package it up with Ben Gay and lidocaine...

New York Insurers Ordered To Pay For Corona Virus Testing

F.J. Thomas

Albany, NY (WorkersCompensation.com) – Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced recently that new regulations in the state will require...

Veteran Reporter Files Suit Over Injuries From Station-Sponsored Event

Liz Carey

Pittsburgh, PA (WorkersCompensation.com) – A 72-year-old reporter with Pittsburgh-based television news station KDKA has filed suit...

Ensuring Employees Are Safe During a Pandemic – Tips and Best Practices

Dr. Teresa Bartlett, Sedgwick

COVID-19, the virus that has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization, is affecting...

WCI Statement on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

The Workers’ Compensation Institute (WCI) is closely monitoring any developments as they relate to the coronavirus...

More Phishing Attacks Being Reported

F.J. Thomas

Nashville, TN (WorkersCompensation.com) – With cybercrimes and data hacks having the 3rd highest growth rate with an estimated cost...

Vocational Recovery Saves Washington State $$$, Reduces Unnecessary Work Disability

Nancy Grover

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – There’s a move afoot in Washington state to get injured workers back...

MN Bus Company Failed To Carry WC Coverage For Years

Liz Carey

Roseville, MN (WorkersCompensation.com) – An investigation into a company that provides school bus operations revealed that...

Analysis Shows FDA Regulations Increasing Healthcare Costs By $20.3 Billion

F.J. Thomas

Washington DC (WorkersCompensation.com) – A safety initiative put in place in 2006 by the Food and...

Emerging Weed Users: Grandma, Grandpa

Nancy Grover

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Older workers may be more inclined to test positive for marijuana use....

Cybercrime has 3rd Highest GDP, Experts Say

Nancy Grover

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Businesses going bankrupt. Cyber threat actors being able to wander around a...

Study of Athletes and Sleep Has Implications for Injury Prevention

F.J. Thomas

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – A new military study suggests that getting enough sleep is critical to...

Communication and Education Key to Keeping US Workers Safe from Deadly Coronavirus

Chriss Swaney

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – With tens of thousands infected worldwide, and some 2000 deaths from the...

NJ legislator Proposes Portable Benefits For ‘Gig’ Workers

Liz Carey

Trenton, NJ (WorkersCompensation.com) – New legislation proposed in N.J. would create a “portable benefits” system for...

On Tap WC Legislation

Nancy Grover

First responders, marijuana and single payer health insurance are the top workers’ compensation-related issues for state...

Report: Healthcare Spending For Employers Outpaced Economy’s Growth

F.J. Thomas

Washington, DC (WorkersCompensation.com) – A new report utilizing claims data from Aetna, Humana, Kaiser Permanente, and...

Medical Marijuana may be Bringing Down Workers’ Compensation Claims

Bruce Burk

Tampa, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – With more and more states legalizing marijuana for either recreational or medical...

Stripper Turns To Gofundme After Fall At Work

Liz Carey

Dallas, TX (WorkersCompensation.com) – A Texas stripper has turned to GoFundMe after incurring more than $20,000...

Study: Trust, Compassion from Providers Leads to Speedier Recoveries

Nancy Grover

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – A good bedside manner can make a tremendous difference in outcomes for...

TN Bills Aim To Combat Misclassification

Liz Carey

Nashville, TN (WorkersCompensation.com) – Legislators in Tennessee hope new legislation will address that state’s problem with...

Uber, Postmates Lose Bid to Temporarily Block AB5

Nancy Grover

Los Angeles, CA (WorkersCompensation.com) – The public interest would not be served by temporarily blocking enforcement...

Wage Theft Victims From California Car Wash Still Waiting for Compensation

Toni Sutton-Deangelico

Culver City, CA (WorkersCompensation.com) It’s been nine months since the California Labor Commissioner’s Office slapped L.A....

U.S. Workplaces May Not Be Ready For the Spread of Coronavirus

Liz Carey

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Since its discovery on December 20, the coronavirus has grown from a...

Cop Allegedly Uses Same WC Fraud Scheme As Convicted Wife

Liz Carey

Santa Clara, CA (WorkersCompensation.com) – A former Santa Clara police officer allegedly faked an injury in...

Eliminating Sedentary Behaviors in Call Centers is the Goal of New Research Study

Nancy Grover

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) — Call center employees are the focus of new government-funded research to prevent...

Delta To Offer New Uniforms Following Employee Complaints/Lawsuits

Liz Carey

Minneapolis, MN (WorkersCompensation.com) – Delta officials announced they will be replacing uniforms that many of the...

Open Office Concept Going The Way of the ‘Powdered Wig’

Chriss Swaney

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – This year is the tipping point for the open office appeal to...

Use Machine Guarding to Prevent Injuries

Bruce Burk

Tampa, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – One of the best ways to lower workers’ compensation exposure is to...

Daily Assaults on Workers a Huge, Underreported Problem, Experts Say

Nancy Grover

Chicago, IL (WorkersCompensation.com) – An upcoming court hearing will consider a class action suit by employees...

Data Breach At Michigan Hospital As Worker Steals Patient Data

F.J. Thomas

Dearborn, MI (WorkersCompensation.com) – More than 1,200 patients have reportedly been impacted by a data breach that occurred...

Colorado Lawmakers Seek to Change Employment-Related Marijuana Rules

Bruce Burk

Denver, CO (WorkersCompensation.com) – It is no secret that the use of marijuana is becoming more...

Winter Weather Requires Employer Diligence

Liz Carey

New York, NY (WorkersCompensation.com) – Ensuring employees have a clear way to get into their place...

National Retailer Fined By OSHA More Than $200K

Toni Sutton-Deangelico

Andover, MA-(WorkersCompensation.com) Target Corp., has been cited by OSHA for having blocked emergency exits at two...

Electrical Safety

Bruce Burk

Tampa, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Among the worst possible types of industrial accidents which can occur are...

Study Shows Timing Of Knee Replacement Critical To Outcome

F.J. Thomas

Chicago, IL (WorkersCompenstion.com) – The best outcome for an injured worker having a knee replacement is...

NJ Parking Lot Proposal Could Have Major Impact on Workers’ Compensation Cases

Bruce Burk

Trenton, NJ (WorkersCompensation.com) – The New Jersey Legislature is considering legislation that would designate accidents which...

Teachers Set To File WC Claims Against School District For Cancers

Liz Carey

Cottage Grove, MN (WorkersCompensation.com) – Four current and former teachers in the South Washington County School...

Mega Claim Costs are Creeping Up

Nancy Grover

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – High dollar workers’ compensation claims have been garnering much attention these days....

Uber Changes Practices in Response to New CA Law

Bruce Burk

Tampa, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – It is no secret that California law could make Uber’s business harder...

ER Opioid Prescriptions Drop by 31 Percent, Study Shows

Nancy Grover

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Emergency room visits involving opioid prescriptions are one of the risk factors...

WCI 2020 Planning Survey Winner and Highlights

Julie Fetherman

Thank you to everyone who completed the WCI 2020 Planning Survey in December. With close to...

Court Finds Bus Driver’s Obesity Not Caused By PTSD

Liz Carey

Albany, NY (WorkersCompensation.com) – A court in New York state has found that a bus driver...

Is There An Upside To Medical Marijuana Use?

F.J. Thomas

Secaucus, NJ (WorkersCompensation.com) — Employers may want to rethink their drug policy if recent studies are...

Johns Hopkins Researchers Slam FDA for Efforts to Deter Opioid Abuse

Nancy Grover

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – A 5+ year initiative by the Food and Drug Administration to reduce...

Workers’ Comp Bowling Injury Held Compensable

Bruce Burk

Tampa, FL (WorkersCompensastion.com) – A Florida workers’ compensation court has come out with a decision that...

Ride Share Drivers More Likely To Be Involved In Accidents, Report Says

Liz Carey

San Francisco, CA (WorkersCompensation.com) – A new report has found that ride share drivers are more...

Thoughts on Dental Accidents

Bruce Burk

Tampa, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – This article discusses everyone’s favorite topic: the dentist. Most of the time...

Workplace New Year’s Resolutions More Customer Centric for 2020

Chriss Swaney

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Many savvy businesses are replacing the traditional workplace New Year’s resolutions of...

Judge Blocks NY Farmworker Labor Act From Starting

Liz Carey

Albany, NY (WorkersCompensation.com) – A federal judge has temporarily halted controversial legislation that would have given...

Judge Orders Halt To AB5 In Regards To Truckers, In Light Of Lawsuit

Liz Carey

Sacramento, CA (WorkersCompensation.com) – A federal judge has blocked a new law reclassifying gig workers and...

UPS Faces Over $400K Penalty For Safety Violations

Toni Sutton-Deangelico

Braintree, MA (WorkersCompensation.com)- United Parcel Service Inc. has been cited by OSHA following allegations of exposing...

TRIA Extension Set in Stone for 7 More Years

Nancy Grover

Washington, DC (WorkersCompensation.com) – Workers’ Compensation insurers breathed a collective sigh of relief last month after...

Study Reveals Increased Rate of Impaired Drivers

F.J. Thomas

Washington, DC (WorkersCompensation.com) – Alcohol related deaths are down but more drivers admit to driving impaired,...

More Trouble For Tennessee Hospitals

F.J. Thomas

Knoxville, Tennessee (WorkersCompenstion.com) – Some health facilities may be hoping for a better year in 2020....

Organizations Urged to Ensure Workers Protected from Frightful Weather

Nancy Grover

Washington, DC (WorkersCompensation.com) – Winter precipitation, along with strong winds are the perfect recipe for cold stress....

Report: Amazon’s Safety Training Plans Scuttled Due to Time Concerns; Amazon Disputes Accusations

Seattle, WA (WorkersCompensation.com) – Plans for Amazon to add enhanced hands-on safety training for newly hired...

Are Data Breaches Impacting Patient Outcomes?

F.J. Thomas

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – New research suggests that the efforts made to avoid data breaches may...

Judge Awards Estate Millions After Fall on ‘Walking Dead’ Set

Liz Carey

Atlanta, GA (WorkersCompensation.com) – An Atlanta jury has awarded the estate of stuntman John Bernecker more...

Construction Worker Faces Felony Charges For Workers’ Compensation Fraud

Toni Sutton-Deangelico

Federal Way, WA (WorkersCompensation.com) – A Washington man has been arraigned on a charge of first-degree...

Opioid Class Actions Trending Down

Bruce Burk

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – With all the news surrounding the opioid crisis, we have seen many...

Study: More Training, Finding New Talent are Biggest Needs for Claims Professionals

Nancy Grover

Chicago, IL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Industry experts have been espousing the benefits of an advocacy-based claims model...

RTW – Not the first Thing to Discuss with Injured Workers, Panelists Say

Nancy Grover

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Injured workers do not want to hear about their employer’s return-to-work expectations...

Study Suggests Americans Are Heavier, More Stressed

F.J. Thomas

A new America’s Health Rankings report from UnitedHealth ranks states by their health ratings. While the...

Amazon, UPS Under Scrutiny For Employee Injuries

Liz Carey

Chicago, IL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Some of the protestors lined up outside the Chicago Amazon Go store...

NY’s ‘Most Aggressive Actions to Combat the Opioid Crisis of Any Other State’ Pay Off

Nancy Grover

Albany, NY (WorkersCompensation.com) – Opioid deaths in New York hit a historical low in 2018. Gov....

DOL Announces $1 Million Competition to Help Transitioning Veterans Find Jobs

F.J. Thomas

Washington, D.C. (workersCompensation.com) – While veterans have valuable skills and experience to offer that are in...

New Report Suggests Primary Care Physicians More Likely To Be Sued Over Diagnoses

F.J. Thomas

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – In today’s ever changing healthcare landscape, it appears several factors can play...

Advanced Technology in WC Credited for ‘Discipline’ in Pricing, Underwriting

Nancy Grover

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Despite years of price decreases, the workers’ compensation line of business is...

Va Beach Shooting Results In 450 Workers’ Comp Claims

Liz Carey

Virginia Beach, VA (WorkersCompensation.com) – Four hundred and fifty employees in the city of Virginia Beach...

New York’s Drug Formulary is In Effect

Nancy Grover

Albany, NY (WorkersCompensation.com) – The much anticipated — or dreaded —drug formulary for the New York...

Data Breach Impacts Several Insurers

F.J. Thomas

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Recently WorkersCompensation.com reported that data breaches are an increasing concern for not just medical...

Top 10 Reasons The WCI Conference Should Be #1 On Your 2020 List!

1. WCI offers THE most comprehensive workers’ compensation program content in the country Choose from over...

Spinal Surgeon Fraudster Gets 30 Months for Kickback Scheme

Nancy Grover

Santa Ana, CA (WorkersCompenstion.com) The orthopedic surgeon infamous for an alleged long-term scheme for his role...

Ski and Ride School Instructors Lead Most Injured List, Report Says

Liz Carey

Crested Butte, CO (WorkersCompensation.com) – When 74-year-old Roxie Lypps was teaching two teenagers how to ski...

Attorney Fee Hearings in Workers’ Compensation

Bruce Burk

Tampa, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – The objective in any workers’ compensation claim is to lower exposure and...

Uber Hit With $650 Million Tax Bill After ‘Misclassifying’ Drivers

Toni sutton-Deangelico

Trenton, NJ (WorkersCompensation.com) – The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL) alleges that...

Study Suggest Talking To Yourself While Driving May Prevent Accidents

F.J. Thomas

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Organizations trying to prevent motor vehicle crashes might want to tell employees...

Early PT Cuts Costs Nearly in Half, White Paper Says

Nancy Grover

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – “Injured workers who start therapy within three days of injury require 38...

Injury Trends and Future of Retail Work

Bruce Burk

Tampa, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – AmTrust Financial Services recently released a report which showed that the highest workers’ compensation...

State Auditor Says Agencies Unnecessarily Spending $Millions in WC

Nancy Grover

Sacramento, CA (workersCompensation.com) – California could have saved at least $20 million in workers’ compensation premiums...

Legal Considerations of California’s Seizure of Applied Underwriters Subsidiary

Bruce Burk

Sacramento, CA (WorkersCompensation.com) – We all know that it’s important to make sure that you follow...

‘Lessor Of’ Language Costs Hospital $600K

F.J. Thomas

Wichita, KS (WorkersCompensation.com) – “Lessor Of” language in healthcare contracts and laws is usually difficult to...

Virtual Reality as Treatment for Pain

Bruce Burk

Tampa, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – With the opioid crisis in full swing, doctors are turning to alternative...

OSHA Slaps Hemp Facility With Massive Fine

Toni Sutton-Deangelico

Josephine County, OR (WorkersCompensation.com) – A hemp-processing facility is accused of letting its workers live and...

Trucking Association Files Suit Over California’s AB 5

Liz Carey

Sacramento, CA (WorkersCompensation.com) – The California Trucking Association has filed suit against the state of California...

Risk Report Suggests Men More Likely To Be Injured In Retail

F.J. Thomas

New York, NY (WorkersCompensation.com) – The most hazardous class of retail workers are those in meat,...

Integrated Absence Management Policy Helps OSU Reduce Lost Time Claims by 31%

Nancy Grover

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – If a nurse at Ohio State University Medical Center injures himself at...

Timeliness of a Daubert Objection

Bruce Burk

Tampa, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – All workers’ compensation claims can run into issues with a Daubert Objection....

Big Pharma Settlements Nationwide May Help Ease Workplace Opioid Crisis

Chriss Swaney

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – A survey by the National Business Group on Health, a nonprofit association...

Florida Considers PTSD For Correctional Officers

Liz Carey

Kissimmee, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – A Florida legislator is proposing a bill that would force the state’s...

California Regulators Seek to Halt Merger of Warren Buffet-Associated WC Company

Nancy Grover

Sacramento, CA (WorkersCompensation.com) – It’s not often – if ever – you hear of state regulators...

Important Things To Look For When Reviewing Medical Records

Bruce Burk

Tampa, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Reviewing medical records goes hand-in-hand with managing a workers’ compensation claim. However,...

Rousmaniere: Industry Icon Says Farewell

Nancy Grover

Sarasota, FL(WorkersCompensation.com) – A major turning point occurred in the workers’ compensation system last week. Revered...

NASI: Covered Jobs and Wages Rise, Benefits to Injured Workers Decline

Liz Carey

Washington, DC (WorkersCompensation.com) –While employment and wages covered under workers’ compensation are rising, the amount of...

DOL: Real Estate Developer Guilty Of Wage Theft

Toni Sutton-Deangelico

North Augusta, SC (WorkersCompensation.com)- A South Carolina real estate developer had to pay $27,959 in back...

Rideshares’ Ballot Initiative Aims to Combat AB5, Includes WC Component

Nancy Grover

Sacramento, CA (WorkersCompensation.com) – Several ridesharing companies have launched an initiative to ensure drivers have flexibility...

Hospital Pays $20 Million to Settle Neurosurgeon Inventor Kickback Case

F.J. Thomas

Sioux Falls, SD (WorkersCompensation.com) – While denying any illegalities, a South Dakota hospital system has agreed...

Driving Deaths Don’t Need to be the Top Cause of Workplace Fatalities

Nancy Grover

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – There’s some good news about driving fatalities. The National Highway Traffic Safety...

New County Program Targets Wage Theft

Toni Sutton-Deangelico

Santa Clara County, CA (WorkersCompensation.com)- Millions of restaurant workers are affected by wage theft. However, these...

Employer/Carrier May Have to Pay for Claimant’s Medical Marijuana

Bruce Burk

Tampa, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Medical marijuana has been controversial since it was introduced as legal in...

EBM’s Evolution in WC Means Better Care, Decision-Making

Nancy Grover

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Evidence-based medicine seems like such a good idea; using a systematic approach...

Data Breaches at Hospitals Demonstrate Industry Vulnerability

F.J. Thomas, Nancy Grover

Kalispell, MT (WorkersCompensation.com) – Within the last week, hospitals in Montana and Texas were hit with...

Workers Compensation Institute Announces New Leadership Team

The Workers Compensation Institute (WCI), the national leader in workers’ compensation education, announced today the appointment...

Workers Compensation Institute Forms Board of Advisors

WCI formed a Board of Advisors to guide the future of the Workers’ Compensation Institute and...

TX: Report Shows ‘Significant Opportunities’ For Docs to Improve Adherence to Best Practices

Nancy Grover

Austin, TX (WorkersCompensation.com) – Texas workers’ compensation physicians largely avoid discussing pain medications they prescribe to...

Opioid Trial Halted by 11th Hour Deal

Nancy Grover

Cleveland, OH (WorkersCompensation.com) — Walgreens is now the only major defendant left in the nation’s first...

Employee Engagement, Interaction Key To Workplace Safety Among Employees with Mental Health Concerns

Liz Carey

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – The key to ensuring employees with mental health issues do not impact...

Ex Police Officer Charged With Workers’ Compensation Fraud

Toni Sutton- Deangelico

Los Angeles, CA (WorkersCompensation.com) – A former Los Angeles police officer faces charges of workers’ compensation...

Evidence Clerk Fails to Show Injury is Caused by Occupational Disease

Bruce Burk

Tampa, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Proving entitlement to workers’ compensation benefits from an occupational disease can be...

U.S. Faces Mounting Worker Skill Gap

Chriss Swaney

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Contrary to the lowest unemployment rates in the U.S. since 2008, 80...

Hopkins Study Suggests Recently-Hired Injured Employees Twice As Likely To Be Reinjured

F.J. Thomas

Baltimore, MD (WorkersCompensation.com) – A new study by researchers with Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore suggests...

Centers of Excellence Expanding in WC, Expert Suggests

Nancy Grover

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Centers of Excellence offer unique opportunities for the workers’ compensation system. While...

Post Hearing Evidence in Workers’ Compensation

Bruce Burk

Tampa, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – In workers’ compensation proceedings, most cases resolve through settlement. However, the ones...

Unions File Suit Against USDA Over Slaughterhouse Rule

Liz Carey

St. Paul, MN (WorkersCompensation.com) – Unions for food and commercial workers have filed a lawsuit against...

Washington Study Suggests Employment Quality Impacts Worker Health

F.J. Thomas

Seattle, WA (WorkersCompensation.com) – A new study from Washington State suggests that more than just work...

Dollar Tree Hit With Six-Figure Citation By OSHA

Toni Sutton-Deangelico

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com)-When people go off to work every day, they expect that their employer will...

FL: Potential Impact of Attorney’s Fees on Future Rates

Bruce Burk

Tampa, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Workers’ Compensation Rates in Florida are projected to go down once again....

Judge: Lawsuit Over Alleged Forced Labor Moves Forward

Liz Carey

Jay, OK (WorkersCompensation.com) – Three men who allege they were forced to work for free at...

Marijuana Banking Bill Gains House Passage

Nancy Grover

Washington, DC (WorkersCompenstion.com) – Legislation that would ease things a bit for insurers and others who...

More Workers Have Access To Paid Leave

F.J. Thomas

Washington, D.C. (WorkersCompensation.com) – The government has released a study on paid leave from supplemental data that was...

Some CA Gig Workers And Companies Not Too Happy with AB 5

Liz Carey

Sacramento, CA (WorkersCompensation.com) – A new law on the books in Cal., may not be making...

Employers Find Simple Ways to Protect Aging Workers from Injuries

Nancy Grover

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Arthritis is the most common chronic disease in the workforce. Osteoarthritis, in...

Father-Daughter Workers’ Comp Fraud Scheme

Bruce Burk

Tampa, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Workers’ compensation fraud hurts everyone. It can cause premiums to go up,...

Survey Debunks Perceptions about Entrepreneurial Millennials

Chriss Swaney

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – A new survey about millennials who own and operate small businesses found...

Wisconsin Company Faces over $200K In OSHA Penalties

toni sutton-Deangelico

Niagara, WI (WorkersCompensation.com – Accusations of continually exposing workers to machine hazards have resulted in penalties...

Mental Health Issues Plague the Workplace

Chriss Swaney

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Mental health disorders are among the most burdensome health concerns for employers...

The Interaction of Workers’ Compensation and Social Security Disability

Bruce Burk

Tampa, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Workers’ compensation and Social Security Disability share a unique relationship. While both...

MT Announces Workers’ Compensation Dividend

Liz Carey

Butte, MT (WorkersCompensation.com) –Montana’s State Fund will give money back to its safest policyholders, fund managers...

Use Change Negotiation Techniques for Delayed Recoveries

Nancy Grover

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompenstion.com) – What’s the best way to deal with an injured worker who just...

WC Stakeholders Assess the Impact of AB5

Liz Carey

Sacramento, CA (WorkersCompensation.com) – The California Legislature’s final approval of Assembly Bill 5 could be what...

Preparation is Key to Mitigate Losses in Unexpected Workplace Tragedies

Nancy Grover

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – “Everyone remembers where they were when they learned the World Trade Center...

NIOSH Urges Adherence to Updated Guidelines to Prevent CTS

Nancy Grover

Sarasota FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is one of the most common and costly musculoskeletal...

Pharmaceutical Company Mallinckrodt Agrees To Pay Out $15 Million for ‘Wining and Dining’

F.J. Thomas

Philadelphia, PA (WorkersCompensation.com) – The U.S. Department Of Justice has announced that drug company Mallinckrodt will...

Court Denies Widow’s Benefits From Husband’s Death In Company Vehicle

Liz Carey

Lubbock, TX (WorkersCompensation.com) – A Texas appeals court has overruled a widow’s appeal for compensation in...

Fall Protection Safety Standard Cited in 6,010 OSHA Violations

Nancy Grover

San Diego, CA (WorkersCompensation.com) – Fall protection once again tops the list for OSHA’s most cited...

Washington Company Hit With Massive Fine For Asbestos And Lead Violations

Toni Sutton-Deangelico

Tumwater, WA- (Workerscompensation.com)- The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) has cited a Washington-based...

All Injuries are Preventable, Panelists Sa

Nancy Grover

Sarasota FL (WorkersCompenstion.com) – Would your organization shut down an operation or work process during peak...

MA Employment Agency Head Indicted For Millions In Unclaimed Wages

Liz Carey

Worcester, MA (WorkersCompensation.com) – According to the US Attorney for Massachusetts, a man who oversaw two...

Endo to pay $10 Million to Settle Opioid Litigatio

Bruce Burk

Tampa, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – With many new cases being filed related to the opioid crisis, some...

Study Suggests Work Environment Associated With Musculoskeletal Pain In Therapists

F.J. Thomas

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – A study released  by Swiss research publisher Springer Nature suggests that workplace...

As Court Rulings Push Costs Higher, Florida Looks for a Rate…Decrease

Nancy Grover

Boca Raton, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Florida employers waiting for the other shoe to drop following landmark...

NY Supreme Court Rejects Workers’ Suit After Cow Falls on Him

Liz Carey

Utica, NY (WorkersCompensation.com) – The New York Supreme Court has denied a worker the right to...

NY: $6 Million In Wage Theft Recuperated In Joint Investigation

Toni Sutton-Deangelico

Maspeth, NY (WorkersCompensation.com) – New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo recently announced that about $6 million...

The Application of the ADA to Websites

Bruce Burk

Tampa, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – When we typically think about the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), we...

Employer Ordered to Pay $90k To Employee Fired For Hearing Loss

Liz Carey

Houma, LA (WorkersCompensation.com) – A Louisiana pressure washing business has been ordered to pay a former...

Speakers Outline Free Ways to ID Creeping Catastrophic Claims Before They Go South

Nancy Grover

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – A handful of claims consume most of the costs in the workers’...

Sackler Family Accused of Funneling Money Away from Purdue Pharma

Bruce Burk

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – There is no shortage of lawsuits against Purdue Pharma related to the...

Feds Continue Fight Against WA Law Protecting Hanford Workers

Liz Carey

Richland, WA (WorkersCompensation.com) – The federal government is continuing to fight a new Washington-state law that...

Reducing Pharmacy Costs Could be All About the DNA

Nancy Grover

Orlando, FL (WorkersCompenation.com) – Why is it that some of us need a higher dose of...

Conference Looks at Mental Health Parity Issues

Liz Carey

Washington, DC (WorkersCompensation.com) – The real issue with mental health currently is not its alleged connection...

Study Shows Opioid Prescribing Down; Alt Pain Treatment Up

Liz Carey

Sarasota, FL – (WorkersCompensation.com) – A new report shows that opioid prescribing rates for workers’ compensation...

Atlanta Man Pleads Guilty In $300,000 Healthcare Scheme

F.J. Thomas

Atlanta, GA (WorkersCompensation.com) – The US Department Of Justice issued a press release on a $300,000 healthcare fraud...

Experts Ponder WC 2030

Nancy Grover

Orlando, FL (WorkersCompenstion.com) – What will the workers’ compensation system look like by 2030? Will it...

Idaho Injured Worker Sentenced For Lying Under Oath

Toni Sutton-Deangelico

Bonneville County, ID (WorkersCompensation.com)- An Idaho Falls resident has been sentenced d to one year in...

More Seniors Staying on the Job

Chriss Swaney

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – The number of Americans 65 and older either working or looking for...

WCRI: Increasing Payments to Providers Does Not Necessarily Drive Better Outcomes

Nancy Grover

Cambridge, MA (WorkersCompensation.com) – Money can’t buy everything. In the case of injured workers, more money...

Restaurant Agrees to Pay $450K in Settlement Over Stolen Wages

Tony Sutton-Deangelico

Seattle, WA (WorkersCompensation.com) – A restaurant in a trendy area of Seattle has agreed to pay...

Dayton Bans Nicotine Use for New Employees

F.J. Thomas

Dayton, OH (WorkersCompensation.com) – The city of Dayton, Ohio recently adopted a policyprohibiting any use of nicotine for new...

PA Authorities Announce Steps to ‘Lessen the Chances of Errors’ in Loss Cost Filings

Nancy Grover

Harrisburg, PA (WorkersCompensation.com) – A lack of adequate internal controls has landed the state’s insurance rating...

RAND Report Offers New Insight into PTSD Among Firefighters

Nancy Grover

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – A new report might allay concerns about potentially high costs from claims...

Cannabis Grower Slapped With $35K Penalty For Failing To Carry WC

Tony Sutton-Deangelico

Salinas, CA (WorkersCompensation.com)-Ever since recreational marijuana became legal in California, officials have struggled to handle the...

Side Impacts Could Cause Concussion

F.J. Thomas

Hoboken, NJ (WorkersCompensation.com) – A new study highlighted by Stevens Institute of Technology shows that location of impact...

CA: Payments for Opioids Drop 90 Percent in 5 Years

Nancy Grover

Oakland, CA (WorkersCompensation.com) – Legislative reforms have resulted in $3 billion in annual savings to the...

Protecting the WC Industry from Cyber Threats: No Time for Penny Pinching

Nancy Grover

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Residents of Baltimore, Md., were recently told they would not receive water...

Risk Managers Advised to Curb Distracted Driving Among Employees

Nancy Grover

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Distracted driving is one of the leading causes of roadway collisions, which...

Second Judgement Issued In Farm Worker Case

F.J. Thomas

San Diego, CA (WorkersCompensation.com) – The US Department Of Labor (USDOL) announced that a second judgement has been...

Feeling The Heat: Outdoor Workers Brave The Weather And Hope For Change

Toni Sutton-Deangelico

Dangerous heatwaves have swept across the United States this summer, with temperatures soaring in cities like...

Miners Not Convinced by McConnell Promises to Support Black Lung Fund

Liz Carey

Washington, DC (WorkersCompensation.com) – A group of Kentucky miners sickened with Black Lung Disease said they...

My Formula For WCI

Kimberly George

Each year I look forward to attending the Workers’ Compensation Educational Conference as it is truly...

WCI Announces the Election of its New Board of Advisors

Press Release: August 2, 2019 The Workers’ Compensation Institute announces the election of its new Board...

Warren Buffett-Owned WC Insurer Agrees to Pay $3 Million Fine

Nancy Grover

New York, NY (WorkersCompnstion.com) – Applied Underwriters has agreed to pay $3 million for what New...

Happy Work Environment Promotes Improved Productivity

Chriss Swaney

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) An overwhelming majority of workers would like their current employer to offer healthier...

Self-Driving Cars Could Have Substantial Impact On the WC System, NCCI Says

Nancy Grover

Boca Raton, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – While claim frequency has been decreasing overall in recent years, that...

NJ: Doc, Drug Store Accused Of $10 Million In Workers’ Comp Fraud

Liz Carey

Wallington, NJ (WorkersCompensation.com) – Federal agents say a doctor was forced to write prescriptions for drugs...

Service Industries Hit Harder By Flu

F.J. Thomas

Muncie, IN (WorkersCompensation.com) – A new study published in Economics & Human Biology this week suggests there is a direct...

DE: Employee Files Suit Over PTSD Following Prisoner’s Death

Liz Carey

Wilmington, DE (WorkersCompensation.com) – A former health administrator has filed suit over workers’ compensation benefits against...

Obesity is Protected Under Washington State’s Anti-Discrimination Law

Nancy Grover

Olympia, WA (WorkersCompensation.com) – Obesity is not a justifiable reason to refuse hiring a job applicant...

Investigation Reveals Boxes of WC Claim Forms

Liz Carey

Chicago, IL (WorkersCompensation.com) – An investigation into Chicago’s longest serving alderman has found two boxes filled...

Pain Advocacy Group Closes, Weighs Future of Journal of Pain

Nancy Grover

Chicago, IL (WorkersCompensation.com) – The nation’s opioid epidemic is at least partially blamed for the demise...

Australian Study Suggests Health, Injury Type & Timing of Claim Filed Contribute To Claims Satisfaction and RTW

F.J. Thomas

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – “There is a strong positive association between worker experiences of the insurance...

Florida Workers’ Comp Fraud Sting

Bruce Burk

Tallahassee, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – The legislature creates laws, not suggestions. Despite this, some businesses either believe...

Experts Get the Conversation Going to Reduce Delayed Treatment

Nancy Grover

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Workers’ compensation stakeholders cite delayed medical treatment as one of their biggest...

Oklahoma Passes New Opioid Settlement Law

Bruce Burk

Oklahoma City, OK (WorkersCompensation.com0 – There has been no shortage of opioid litigation in the past...

Berkeley Study Suggests Increasing Minimum Wage Has Positive Effects

F.J. Thomas

Berkeley, CA (WorkersCompensation.com) – A new study by The University of California at Berkeley economists Anna Godoey and Michael Reich...

Alaska Workers’ Compensation Rates Decline

Chriss Swaney

Juneau, AK (WorkersCompensation.com) – Alaska state officials report that this year’s workers’ compensation rate decline is...

Give Kids The World Newsletter – July 2019

May 2019

What’s Inside? Article 1: Pillow Talk Article 2: Olivia’s Story Article 3: WCI Give Kids the World Service Day...

McDonald’s Responds to Workplace Violence Criticism

nancy Grover

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Ten U.S. senators are asking McDonald’s CEO to “immediately adopt a comprehensive...

PA: Widow’s Attorney Warns County, Husband’s Suicide Was Work-Related

Liz Carey

Westmoreland County, PA (WorkersCompensation.com) – The widow of a former corrections officer says she may file...

Preventable Deaths Ranked by State

Nancy Grover

Itasca, IL (WorkersCompensation.com) – California has the lowest rate of preventable deaths, while West Virginia has...

Ohio Grate Maker Company Faces Over $183K in Fines for Workplace Safety Violations

Toni Sutton-Deangelico

Canton, Ohio (WorkerssCompensation.com)- Ohio Gratings Inc., described as ‘the industry leader in the manufacture of steel...

DEA Licensed Physician Charged For Giving Out Pain ‘Goodie Bags’

F.J. Thomas

Huntington Valley, PA (WorkersCompensation.com) – The US Department of Justice announced that Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Specialist, Andrew...

Employees Honored as RTW MVPs

Nancy Grover

Durham, NC (WorkersCompensation.com) – Injured workers who can stay at work or return as soon after...

Study Shows Need to Train Drivers on Vehicle Automation Systems

Nancy Grover

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Technology designed to make driving safer may have the exact opposite effect...

Study Finds American Workers Less Engaged Compared to Other Countries

F.J. Thomas

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – A new study from ADP Research Institute shows that American workers are less engaged than those...

Moving the Goal Post in Workers’ Compensation Litigation

Bruce Burk

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – If you have found yourself dealing with a workers’ compensation claim and...

California Law Aimed At Protecting Gig Workers May Harm Hollywood

Liz Carey

Hollywood, CA (WorkersCompensation.com) – A California law aimed at protecting gig workers at companies like Uber...

Oklahoma Court Decision May Spark More Suits Against Employers

Nancy Grover

Oklahoma City, OK (WorkersCompensation.com) – The Oklahoma Supreme Court has effectively expanded the definition of ‘intentional...

LA Lake Closed After Lifeguards Develop Bacterial Reaction

Liz Carey

Los Angeles, CA (WorkersCompensation.com) – The Los Angeles Aquatics Division of the Department of Recreation and...

EX Boston Trolley Driver Sentenced To Jail For Staging Attack To Collect WC

Toni Sutton-Deangelico

Boston, Massachusetts (WorkersCompensation.com)- A former Massachusetts trolley driver has been sentenced to three years and one...

Responding to a Defective PFB – Incorrect Dates of Accident

Bruce Burk

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – If you’re an adjuster, then you have probably found yourself trying to...

OSHA Report Alleges Multiple Failures Leading to Miami Bridge Collapse

Nancy Grover

Washington, DC (WorkersCompensation.com) – Structural design deficiencies, failure to recognize the magnitude of widening cracks, oversights...

Efforts to Engage, Retain Workers – Going to the Dogs

Nancy Grover

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – You may notice something different about the workplace during the next several...

Psychological Injuries Examined in New Oregon Supreme Court Case

Bruce Burk

The concept of rule in/rule out deals with the notion that an injured worker should have...

Sponsor of Immigration Provision in WC Budget Bill Says it’s for Data Collection

Nancy Grover

Columbus, OH (WorkersCompensation.com) – It’s now up to the State Senate to tackle the budget bill...

Heritage Pharmaceuticals to Pay $$7 Million in False Claims Allegations

F.J. Thomas

Philadelphia, PA (WorkersCompensation.com) – Generic drug maker Heritage Pharmaceuticals of Eatontown, New Jersey will pay $7...

Court Says Carpenter’s Injuries Falling Off Bridge Aren’t Covered by Longshoreman’s Act

Liz Carey

Norfolk, VA (WorkersCompensation.com) – A carpenter’s fall off a bridge can’t be considered maritime work a...

DOJ Hanford Workers’ Compensation Lawsuit Update

Bruce Burk

A federal judge is poised to rule on a new lawsuit brought against the state of...

Beat Fatigue to Reduce the Bottom Line

Nancy Grover

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Having tired workers is more than just a simple annoyance. It’s a...

BWC Pharmacy Chief Clarifies What’s Covered/Not Covered in Oxy Chang

Liz Carey

Columbus, OH (WorkersCopmpensation.com) – Ohio’s workers’ compensation agency said it will reimburse injured workers for various...

Over Half of Road Workers Involved in Accidents

F.J. Thomas

Arlington, VA (WorkersCompensation.com) – A new study released by the Associated General Contractors (AGC) of America indicates that...

PTSD Bill on Way to Governor Includes ‘Study’ to Consider Including EMS Personnel

Liz Carey

Hartford, CT (WorkersCompensation.com) – Nearly 10 years after a police officer was denied workers’ compensation benefits...

A TRUE summer blockbuster: National Worker’s Compensation Review: 2019 edition reveal (including spoiler alerts)!

H. George Kagan

What is the NWCR? Brief History and mission statement: One score less six years ago, our...

Prosecution of Pain Med Physicians: Conspiracy Or Truth?

F.J. Thomas

Salt Lake City, UT (WorkersCompensation.com) – Last week, WorkersCompensation.comreported that Allstate had filed suit against two pain...

Survey on Workplace Mental Health Reveals ‘Alarming’ Findings

Nancy Grover

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Mental health issues can have a significant impact on organizations. They can...

California Business Groups Seek Legislative Help On Independent Contractors

Liz Carey

San Jose, CA (WorkersCompensation.com) – While California legislators are working to pass legislation that would redefine...

Dollar Tree Cited Again By L&I For Safety Violations

Toni Sutton-Deangelico

Vancouver, WA (WorkersCompensation.com) – The Washington Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) recently issued one of...

Non-Traditional Lite Duty May Fit the Bill for RTW

Nancy Grover

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Getting injured workers back to function as soon as possible is a...

California’s DWP Down Again

Nancy Grover

Oakland, CA (WorkersCompenstion.com) – “For the second year in a row total direct written premium in...

Employers Can Prevent Summer-Related Workers’ Compensation Claims

Nancy Grover

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – As the unofficial start of the summer season, it’s a good time...

Teachers Face Increased Violence in The Classroom

Liz Carey

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – By the end of April, the number of workers’ compensation claims over...

Allstate Sues Well Known Senior Physician Following Fraud Investigation

F.J. Thomas

Detroit, MI (WorkersCompensation.com) – Insurance giant Allstate has filed suit against two pain clinics and two...

Ohio Rebates Most Of Employers’ Workers’ Comp Premiums

Liz Carey

Reynoldsburg, OH (WorkersCompensation.com) – Ohio’s Bureau of Workers’ Compensationhas proposed rebating almost all of employers’ workers’ compensation...

Treating Physicians Share Their WC Concerns

Nancy Grover

Orlando, FL (WorkersCompenstion.com) – There are roughly 3,000 board certified occupational physicians in the country. With...

Construction Company Owner Arrested for Fraud

Liz Carey

Jacksonville, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – The owner of a Florida construction company has been arrested in a...

Concord Contractors Fined By OSHA for Safety Violations That Resulted In Death

Toni Sutton-Deangelico

Concord, New Hampshire (WorkersCompensation.com)- A local contractor was cited by OSHA for over $40,000 in fines...

Connecticut Proposal Offers First Responders Benefits For PTSD

Hartford, CT (WorkersCompensation.com) – Legislation to provide extended benefits to first responders who develop work-related Post...

Unprecedented Positive WC Stats Give Experts Pause

Nancy Grover

Orlando, FL (WorkersCompenstion.com) – “We’re in an atypical environment right now,” said NCCI’s Chief Actuary Kathy...

Alliance of Women in Workers’ Compensation

The Workers’ Compensation Institute is excited to announce a partnership with the Alliance of Women in...

Spread of Measles a Potential Concern for Organizations

Nancy Grover

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – At least 764 individual cases of measles have been confirmed in the...

Tennessee Employers May Be Immune To Mental Anguish Claims

F.J. Thomas

Nashville, TN (WorkersCompensation.com) –A new amendment to Tennessee’s Healthy Workplace Act may offer employers protection from lawsuits for...

State Presumptive Laws Don’t Go Far Enough, FF Advocates Say

Chriss Swaney

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – While states are increasingly considering and/or adopting legislation to provide workers’ compensation...

Give Kids The World Newsletter – May 2019

May 2019

What’s Inside? Article 1: Gallagher Bassett is Giving it Their All! Article 2: WCI’s GKTW Silent Auction Returns...

Quest Authors Offer Suggestions for Employers in States with Marijuana Laws

Nancy Grover

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompenstion.com) – Employers concerned about the increasing use of marijuana among their workers, especially...

OxyContin Suits and Potential Legal Implications

Bruce Burk

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – OxyContin has become somewhat of a four letter word with the advent...

Pain Hampers Productivity, IBI Researcher Says

F.J. Thomas

San Francisco, CA (WorkersCompensation.com) – “There’s a very high proportion of people using prescription pain relievers...

Injured Workers Increasingly Being Treated As Consumers

Chriss Swaney

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – A pervasive trend for stakeholders in the complex workers’ compensation arena is...

NY Farmers Say New Workers’ Comp Laws Could Put Them Out Of Business

Liz Carey

Albany, NY (WorkersCompensation.com) – A New York state proposal that would make farmers subject to overtime...

Lag Times Cost Money, Report Shows

Nancy Grover

San Francisco, CA (WorkersCompensation.com) – Employers/payers spend an extra $50.47 on medical-only claims for each day...

Understanding the Basics Can Prevent ADA Non-compliance

Nancy Grover

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Trying to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act can seem like...

Company Whose Worker Died In Trench Incident Had Prior Violations

Toni Sutton-Deangelico

Sugarcreek Township, Ohio (WorkersCompensation.com) – Earlier this month a worker died in a trench collapse at...

CT Teachers out on WC due to Alleged Mold Exposure

Bruce Burk

Stamford, CT (WorkersCompensation.com) – Mold exposure is no laughing matter. In fact, some research links exposure...

Audit of KY Workers’ Comp Insurer Finds Questionable Expenditures

Liz Carey

Frankfort, KY (WorkersCompensation.com) – Among the purchases made by the Kentucky workers’ compensation agency the Kentucky...

Study Shows Healthcare Workers Not Cleaning Their Hands Between Tasks

F.J. Thomas

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) issued a news release stating...

Truck Driver Finally Settles, Years After TBI Claim

Toni Sutton-Deangelico

Middletown, CT (WorkersCompensation.com) – 35-year-old truck driver Jairo Solis has settled his workers’ compensation claim with...

Employers Struggle With Leave of Absence Issues

Chriss Swaney

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Balancing the various paid leave of absence laws can make for confusing...

Workers’ Comp Fund For Drivers Used For Lobbyist, Political Contributions

Liz Carey

New York, NY (WorkersCompensation.com) – A fund set up to pay for injuries to for-hire drivers...

Gig Economy IPOs

Bruce Burk

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – With the prevalence of the gig economy sweeping across the nation, naturally...

WCI 2019 Theme Announcement!

WCI 2019 Theme: Coast to Coast The Workers’ Compensation Institute is very excited to reveal the...

FDA Issues Label Changes to Prevent Opioid Withdrawal Symptoms

Nancy Grover

Washington, DC (WorkersCompensation.com) – “The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has received reports of serious harm...

Court Ruling Affirms NCAA Athletes Are Not University Employees, Expert Says

Liz Carey

Minneapolis, MN (WorkersCompensation.com) – With Virginia’s win over Texas Tech last night for the national title,...

Pro Wrestlers Seeking Employee Status Get Hope from Newly Formed Organization

Toni sutton-Deangelico

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – The topic of workers’ compensation for athletes can be quite interesting; going...

Tennessee Undocumented Worker Case Not Necessarily Clear Cut

F.J. Thomas

Nashville, TN (WorkersCompensation.com) – A recent case heard by the Tennessee Supreme Court highlights some complexities...

Insurer Sees Improved Outcomes, Lower Costs with Workers’ Recovery Approach

Nancy Grover

Des Moines, IA (WorkersCompensation.com) – Being nice can pay dividends. Workers’ compensation managers at Continental Western...

Ability + Curiosity = Success for WC Professionals, NCCI Board Chair Advises

Nancy Grover

Boca Raton, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – A commitment to lifelong learning is critical for industry professionals going...

Bakery Owner Out of a Large Sum Of Dough for Going Without WC Insurance

Toni Sutton-Deangelico

Carmel-By-The-Sea, CA(WorkersCompensation.com) – It’s imperative that business owners stay on top of their workers’ compensation policies;...

NY Takes $2 Million from Racing Purses for Workers’ Compensation

Liz Carey

New York, NY (WorkersCompensation.com) – Legislators in New York have authorized a $2 million transfer from...

Presenteeism Can Cost You

F.J. Thomas

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – If your employees are coming to work sick, it might be costing...

Open Office Space Design Wave of the Future

Chriss Swaney

Some workers may hate the growing trend for open office design, but it’s probably here to...

Expert Use Best Practices to Protect Patients, Healthcare Workers from Opioid Effects

Nancy Grover

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Mussels in Puget Sound have tested positive for opioids. That finding last...

Key Congressional Committee Approves Safe Harbor for Medical Marijuana Payments

Nancy Grover

Washington, DC (WorkersCompensation.com) – A dilemma for insurers and self-insured employers about whether and how to...

Oxycontin Maker Settles With Oklahoma For $270 Million

Liz Carey

Tulsa OK (WorkersCompensation.com) – The maker of OxyContin will pay out an estimated $270 million in...

Enforcement of Medicare Payments

Bruce Burk

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Medicare is always on the minds of those who work in the...

WCI 2019 Entertainment & Keynote Speaker!

#WCI2019

Jake Owen to perform at WCI 2019! We are excited to announce that chart-topping, singer/songwriter Jake...

Give Kids The World Newsletter

March 2019

What’s Inside? Article 1: The Sedgwick Effect: An Inspiring Interview with Dave North of Sedgwick! Article 2: An...

Report: Federal Black Lung Fund Threatened

Liz Carey

Coeburn, VA (WorkersCompensation.com) – A tax increase that was not renewed during the budget showdown in...

OSHA Cites Pet Food Maker for $95K

Toni Sutton-Deangelico

Miami, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – A premium pet food manufacturer was stunned last week when it was...

Gene Testing Could Provide More Accurate Prescribing for Injured workers – Someday

Nancy Grover

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Imagine going to your physician and getting the exact medication and dosage...

Employers Are Stymied by Worker Overdoses

Chriss Swaney

Sarasota, FL (WorkercCompensation.com) – For the first time in U.S. history, a person is more likely...

Workplace Fatalities Decrease Overall But Increase for Older Workers

F.J. Thomas

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – The diligence of employers providing a safer work place has paid off...

New Bill Proposal for Workers’ Comp in FL

Bruce Burk

Tallahassee, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – With the start of a new administration and a new legislative session,...

Pennsylvania Firm Penalized By OSHA For Exposing Employees To Trenching Hazard

Toni Sutton-Deangelico

Warminster, PA (Workerscompensation.com)-Early last week, OSHA cited Etna Construction Inc. for unsafe conditions at one of...

Illinois Passes Legislation Seen as Threat to Exclusive Remedy

Nancy Grover

Springfield, IL (WiorkersCompensation.com) – Legislation on its way to Illinois’ governor would allow some workers to...

How Safe Are Today’s New Commercial Aircraft?

Chriss Swaney

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – For years, the FAA has essentially allowed airplane manufacturers to sign off...

TX: Study Shows Decrease In Number Of Small Businesses With WC

Liz Carey

Dallas, TX (WorkersCompensation.com) – A study released in February shows that nearly a third of small...

Don’t Mess with the Client’s Money

Judge David Langham

The Florida Bar News recently reported on the disbarment of an attorney in December 2018. This happens periodically,...

What is Disability, Really?

Bob Wilson

It is an issue we struggle with, and a difficult one to solve. Much of the...

Producers Of A Hit TV Show Cited By OSHA After Stuntman Gets Injured

Toni Sutton-Deangelico

 

Atlanta, GA (WorkerCompensation.com)-Unless there is a lawsuit of some sort, or it is sexy, or there...

Why We’re Still Talking About Opioids

Nancy Grover

Phoenix, AZ (WorkersCompensation.com) – A lot of people – including workers — are taking pain meds....

The Ranks of the First Responder Special Class is Growing

Robert Wilson

Legislative bills in Montana and Idaho that will grant certain benefits and presumptions for first responders appear to be headed...

Great Public Harm – and Social Media

Judge David Langham

The Florida Bar filed a Petition for Emergency Suspension recently in a case styled The Florida Bar...

Orlando Apollos Hoping to Get WC in Florida

F.J. Thomas

Orlando, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Last week the Orlando Sentinel reported that the Orlando Apollos would be practicing in Kingsland, Georgia...

OH BWC Eliminates Oxycontin from Drug Formulary

Liz Carey

Columbus, OH (WorkersCompensation.com) – Board members for the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation have voted to...

Florida WC Judges Seek Fair Pay from Legislature

Nancy Grover

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – We hear a lot about attorneys’ fees in Florida’s workers’ compensation system,...

WCI 2020: Theme & Entertainment Announced

WCI 2020 Theme The Workers’ Compensation Institute is thrilled to announce the 75th Annual Workers’ Compensation...

Perspectives: Status Woe – Outdated Regulation Impedes Healthcare Innovation

Sandy Shtab

As a college student, I interned with my U.S. Senator, an experience that provided an early...

Who Are Our Leaders For Artificial Intelligence?

Peter Rousmaniere

We can see it coming — very incrementally at first. Then there will be large disruptions....

Whistleblower: Grand Canyon Employees Exposed To Uranium In 5-Gallon Tubs

Liz Carey

Grand Canyon National Park, AZ (WorkersCompensation.com) – A safety manager with the National Park Service said...

Opioid Scripts Down, But CWCI Warns Against Replacing One Drug Problem with Another

Nancy Grover

Oakland, CA (WorkersCompensation.com) – Opioids previously comprised nearly one-third of the medications prescribed in California’s workers...

Subrogation in Workers’ Compensation Claims

Bruce Burk

Sarasota, FL (workersCompensation.com) – When a workers’ compensation accident happens, one of the first things which...

Tennessee Businesses Are Optimistic Despite Lack Of Workers And Higher WC Costs

F.J. Thomas

Johnson City, TN (WorkersCompensation.com) –In early January, the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) released a Job Report that indicated...

E-Scooters Could be the Death of Your Company

Bob Wilson

Colorado workers’ compensation insurer Pinnacol Assurance issued a news release recently   urging employers to reconsider their employee’s...

Can a Medicare Advantage Plan Assert a Greater Right of Recovery for Conditional Payments than Traditional Medicare? Optum Seems to Think So

Heather Schwartz Sanderson

The Non-Group Health Plan (NGHP) industry is not only experiencing increased recovery demands from Medicare Advantage...

Gun Violence: A Growing Threat in the Workplace

Liz Carey

Minneapolis, MN (WorkersCompensation.com) – As the snow fell on I-35 Tuesday, Feb. 4, Kenneth Lilly allegedly...

Put Workers At the Center of Claims Process for Best Outcomes, Experts Advise

Nancy Grover

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Starbucks has a unique way of reporting injuries; they let injured workers...

New Insights Into Modified Duty’s Benefits

Peter Rousmaniere

Do modified duties work to reduce workers’ compensation costs? Aside from anecdotal evidence, we haven’t had...

CMS Releases Proposals that Will Increase Medicare Advantage Plan Growth

Jean S. Goldstein

Recently, CMS released Part II of a set of proposals that CMS indicates “will take significant...

Distracted Driving in Workers’ Compensation

Bruce Burke

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – With more and more people getting smart phones, texting and driving is...

Benzos: The Next Drug Crisis

Nancy Grover

 

Sarastoa, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) A dangerous class of drugs is increasingly being prescribed for back aches and...

Medical Experts Offer Thoughts, Advice for Physician Burnout

Nancy Grover

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompenstion.com) – An increase in administrative burdens, frustrations with new technological requirements and less...

Three Huge Mistakes That Could Essentially Destroy a Workers’ Compensation Claim

Toni Sutton-Deangelico

 

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Nobody ever expects an employee to be injured at the work-place, but...

Mega Claims Show the Value of Workers’ Compensation

Nancy Grover

(Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – The idea of a $10 million workers’ compensation claim would have been...

Disability Accommodations Cost Employers Less Than You Think

F.J. Thomas

Tallahessee, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – A recent study released by the Florida Chamber Foundation shows that more employers are...

Report Shows Uber Investigators ‘Suicidal’ From Workload

Liz Carey

San Francisco, CA (WorkersCompensation.com) – Experts say managing employee stress levels is key to employee health,...

Telecommuting and Injured Workers: Who Pays?

Bruce Burk

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Telecommuting is on the rise on a global basis. More and more...

NY’s Revised Formulary Proposal ‘Nuanced’ and ‘Complex’

Nancy Grover

New York, NY (WorkersCompensation.com) – New York’s Workers’ Compensation Board may be hoping the third time...

New York’s New Virtual Hearings App Comes at Just The Right Time

Toni Sutton-Deangelico

New York, NY (WorkersCompensation.com) – Traveling to workers’ compensation hearings is often inconvenient, especially at this...

Report Links Big Pharma Marketing to Opioid ODs

Liz Carey

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – According to a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association,...

WC Pain Experts Weigh In on Opioids, Chronic Pain Draft Report

Nancy Grover

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Are best practices for treating chronic pain the best we can do?...

Virtual Visits May Top Office Appointments for Care Quality, Experts Say

FJ Thomas

Boston, MA (WorkersCompensation.com) – Not only is telemedicine convenient, it may actually produce better outcomes —...

New Year Changes in Workers’ Compensation

Bruce Burk/Liz Carey

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – New Year Changes in Workers’ Compensation The November 2018 elections saw a...

Second Mining Death of 2019 Kills Surveyor

Liz Carey

Bell County, KY (WorikersCompensation.com) – A Tennessee surveyor is dead after a coal mining accident in...

Hartwig Ponders Potential Impact of Shutdown on Worker Safety

Nancy Grover

Washington, DC (WorkersCompensation.com) – More than 800,000 federal employees are working without pay during the government...

Swedlow: Change in Leadership ‘One of the Most Significant’ in Quite Some Time

Nancy Grover

Sacramento, CA (WorkersCompensation.com) – All eyes are on California to see what, if any changes Gov...

Tennessee Program Gives ‘Hope’ to Injured Workers Post Settlement

Nancy Grover

Nashville, TN (WorkersCompensation.com) – Injured workers who settle their claims often share a common feeling: despair....

New Year Sees Workers’ Compensation Rates Drop in FL – Again

Liz Carey

Tallahassee, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – With the new year comes yet another decrease in Florida businesses’ workers’...

More States Move To Cover PTSD For First Responders

Liz Carey

Tallahassee, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Frequent shootings in 2018 prompted some lawmakers to protect first responders suffering...

Corrections Officer Suspected of Worker’s Compensation Fraud

Toni Sutton

Buffalo, NY (WorkersCompensation.com) – A New York corrections officer who worked at a Wyoming correctional facility...

WCRI finds opioid dispensing more prevalent in rural areas; small businesses

Liz Carey

Cambridge, MA (WorkersCompensation.com) – Injured workers in mining and construction, as well as workers employed at...

Could (Would) I Write you a Recommendation Letter?

Judge David Langham

A unanimous Florida Supreme Court decided Inquiry Concerning a Judge NO. 18-108 RE: Deborah White LaBora on November...

Rousmaniere: A WCRI for our times

Peter Rousmaniere

An Opinion Piece by Peter Rousmaniere The models for research which the Workers Compensation Research Institute...

Injured Food Service Workers Out on Average 30 Days, Report Says

Liz Carey

Editor’s Note: This story is a follow up to a report that originally ran here on...

Governor Hutchinson Appoints Scott Willhite to the Arkansas Workers’ Compensation Commission

Staff Report

Little Rock, AR (WorkersCompensation.com) – Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson announced Thursday his intent to appoint Scott...

Trucking Deaths Up for 2017, Expert Blames Truckers

Liz Carey

Washington, DC (WorkersCompensation.com) – According to a recent report, trucking deaths on the job reached a...

New York Governor Vetoes Paid Family Leave Revision to Workers’ Comp

Staff Report

Albany, NY (WorkersCompensation.com) – In the waning days of 2018, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo vetoed...

Encouragement for Pain Sufferers

Becky Curtis

This article was originally published on PainPathways.org by Dee Emmerson, TCC Writer. The old ballad, “Home, Home on...

MD: Cafeteria Worker Attacked by Students at East Baltimore High School

Toni Sutton

Baltimore, MD (WorkersCompensation.com) – Baltimore school cafeteria worker Tina Hill was injured after an alleged assault...

4-1-1 on Comp: Update on Work Comp Attorneys’ Fees in FL

Bruce Burk

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – With the November election in the review mirror, many are speculating on...

Rousmaniere: How PTSD Laws are Changing

Peter Rousmaniere

Sandy Hook… Parkland… Las Vegas… Pittsburgh… incidents of mass carnage shock the country. Many workers are...

4-1-1 on Comp: Private Firefighters in CA

Bruce Burk

Butte County, CA (WorkersCompensation.com) – California has recently had the worst set of wildfires in history....

Raging Retail? Recent Report Ranks States by Risk of Violence from Black Friday

FJ Thomas

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – A report ranking states by risk of violence during Black Friday was recently released...

TN Experiences Ongoing Drug Shortages

FJ Thomas

Knoxville, TN (WorkersCompensation.com) – Some hospitals in east Tennessee have recently sent out notification to providers...

‘Deep Fakes’ and What It Could Potentially Mean for Work Comp

FJ Thomas

Sacramento, CA (WorkersCompensation.com) – According to common definitions, the term “Deep Fakes” is an AI-assisted technology,...

Five Tips for Getting Through the Holidays with Chronic Pain

Becky Curtis

I look forward to the holidays when friends and family gather for food, fun and laughter....

4-1-1 on Comp Defenses: Major Contributing Cause vs. Exacerbation of Pre-Existing Condition and Return to Baseline

Bruce Burk

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – We hear a lot about the defense of major contributing cause in...

OH Initiates Program to Help Recovering Addicts Return to the Workplace

Kenneth Davis

Columbus, OH (WorkersCompensation.com) – Similar to many states struggling with this topic, the nationwide opioid epidemic...

NY: Unbridled Workers’ Compensation Rates Slow Thoroughbred Racing Industry

Chriss Swaney

Albany, NY (WorkersCompensation.com) – The winners’ circle, and even racing in general, may remain elusive for...

4-1-1 on Comp: Poll Workers and Work Comp Claims

Bruce Burk

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – With the elections in the rearview mirror, most people are done thinking...

An Update on Work Comp Rates for Employers

FJ Thomas

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – October was the month of reductions in work comp employer costs for...

OH Court Awards Work Comp Benefits to Data Entry Clerk

Toni Sutton

Twinsburg, OH (Workerscompensation.com) – An Ohio appellate court has ruled to uphold an award of benefits...

Resilience Defined

Mark Pew

I had the privilege of closing out the annual conference for the Oklahoma City chapter of...

TX Dept. of Insurance Study: High Percentage Of Injured Workers Have Previous Claims

FJ Thomas

Houston, TX (WorkersCompensation.com) – According to a study released in May 2018 by the Texas Department Of Insurance...

4-1-1 on Comp: Traumatic Brain Injuries

Bruce Burk

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Traumatic brain injuries or TBIs are dealt with regularly in the workers’...

4-1-1 on Comp: CT Man Charged with Work Comp Fraud

Bruce Burk

Manchester, CT (WorkersCompensation.com) – Manchester, CT resident Ronald Gordillo was recently arrested on a warrant after...

Rousmaniere: Time to Rebalance Workers’ Comp

Peter Rousmaniere

It’s passed the time when workers’ comp should be striking a better balance between cost reductions,...

Exploring the Safety Net for Non-Traditional Employees

Chriss Swaney

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – If you are a jockey, small business owner, agricultural worker, freelance writer...

Five Foods to Help Fight Chronic Pain

Becky Curtis

Some of you may wonder why I am including recipes in my chronic pain blog. In...

NYC Law Dept. Report: Taxpayers Are Footing the Bill for More Work Comp Claims

Liz Carey

New York, NY (WorkersCompensation.com) – New York City taxpayers are paying more than ever for city...

Study Links Opioids to Workers’ Compensation

Liz Carey

Baltimore, MD (WorkersCompensation.com) – A new report has found that 30 percent of injured workers prescribed...

CA: Five Charged in Work Comp Referral Scheme

Liz Carey

Orange County, CA (WorkersCompensation.com) – Four chiropractors and a fifth man believed to be a conspirator...

Rousmaniere: The Smart Phone as Curse — and Savior?

Peter Rousmaniere

Distracted driving — driving while distracted by a smart phone or other infotainment gadget — has...

Robots in the Workplace: What Effects Does it Have on Employees, Employers and Work Comp?

Kenneth Davis

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – In this tech-driven age of automation, robots have become a common sight...

Workers’ Compensation Auto Accidents Increasing, Study Shows

Liz Carey

Charleston, SC (WorkersCompensation.com) – Auto accidents on the job continue to be one of the major...

Neck-Up Thinking

Becky Curtis

“Stop the car!” I demanded, “I can’t take this another minute!” We pulled over and I got out,...

TX Resources: Can Responsiveness Determine Long-Term Impacts of Disasters?

FJ Thomas

Houston, TX (WorkersCompensation.com) – The Houston Chronicle recently reported that Harris County allotted $14.5 million to...

TX Study Analyzes Access to Medical Care

FJ Thomas

Austin, TX (WorkersCompensation.com) – A recent study released by the Workers’ Compensation Division of the Texas Department of...

CDC Releases Report on Carpal Tunnel Statistics

FJ Thomas

Sacramento, CA (WorkersCompensation.com) – The CDC released a report in early October, regarding carpal tunnel syndrome with data...

Supervisors Beware

David Langham

In 2016 I wrote that Recent Decisions may Caution Supervisors. That post discusses cases on supervisor liability,...

Risky Business: Pizza Delivery Drivers

Liz Carey

This is the next article in WorkersCompensation.com’s “Risky Business” series, as we explore what is it like to...