Workers Comp

Lawmakers in Texas are considering a bill that would make infertility suffered by certain first responders a compensable condition under workers compensation. S.B. 1878 would apply to firefighters and emergency medical technicians who regularly responded on the scene to calls involving fires or firefighting or to events involving the documented release of radiation or a …

Texas infertility presumption among wave of first responder bills Read More »

An administrative law judge has affirmed $1.3 million in penalties against an auto parts supplier stemming from the 2016 death of a worker crushed at a manufacturing facility in Cusseta, Alabama. The U.S. Department of Labor announced Wednesday that the fine and citation against Joon LLC, operating as AJIN USA, was affirmed following a review …

Judge affirms $1.3M penalty in auto parts worker’s death Read More »

Two contractors have been cited by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration after a painter fell from an unsecured balcony at a residential apartment complex and died when the balcony fell 21 feet to the concrete below and crushed him. OSHA on Tuesday announced citations against general contractor Geis Construction of Streetsboro, Ohio, and subcontractor …

Ohio contractors cited in painter’s fatal fall Read More »

The West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals overturned a lower court ruling that allowed a negligence lawsuit to proceed against a pipeline company, ruling the state’s workers compensation law bars such litigation. In a Monday decision, the appeals court determined a trial judge was wrong to permit the continuation of a lawsuit against Precision Pipeline …

Pipeline worker cannot sue employer: West Virginia appeals court Read More »

Texas lawmakers on Tuesday introduced a bill that would address an employer’s civil liability under the Texas Workers’ Compensation Act for injuries suffered by a victim of sexual assault. H.B. 3977 states that an employee who is a victim of a sexual assault may sue their employer if the injuries “arose from the employer’s negligence.” …

Texas lawmakers introduce workplace sexual assault, PTSD bills Read More »

Pegged by the National Council on Compensation Insurance as a top legal issue to watch, disputes over exclusive remedy in workers compensation will continue as more injured workers and surviving families sue employers, experts say. In nearly every state workers compensation is considered the exclusive remedy for workplace injuries. The so-called grand bargain ensures workers’ …

Exclusive remedy faces more court challenges Read More »

New York lawmakers have filed a trio of bills relating to presumptive occupational injuries for various state employees including some first responders. Two of the three measures that were filed on Monday would provide heart and lung disease presumptions for corrections officers and sheriff’s deputies respectively and the third proposal relates to heart disease presumptions …

Comp presumption bills filed in New York Read More »

A national food producer is facing $222,779 in proposed fines after the Occupational Safety and Health Administration said a failure in workplace safety procedures led to a seasonal worker’s partial finger amputation at a Wisconsin cannery. OSHA on Tuesday announced citations against Walnut Creek, California-based Del Monte Foods Inc. for two repeated and six serious …

Food producer cited in worker’s partial finger amputation Read More »

Lockton Cos. LLC has announced the launch of a workers compensation consulting framework that the Kansas City, Missouri-based broker says will aid employers in addressing comp risks. Lockton 360 combines a suite of analytics with risk control consulting services that can help companies identify, diagnose and formulate plans for cost reduction, the brokerage said Monday. …

Lockton launches comp consulting framework Read More »

A bill that would permit a licensed physical therapist to act as a “treating doctor” in the workers compensation system was introduced to the Texas legislature on Friday. H.B. 3370 states that a physical therapist would not be required to obtain a referral from a treating doctor to provide care. Also …

Texas bills target physical therapists, PTSD eligibility Read More »