Latest Workers' Compensation Headlines
All the headlines from our Workers' Compensation Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Texas Doctor Convicted of Workers’ Comp Fraud, Drug Crimes
Jul 30 2021 // A North Texas doctor will pay $376,368 in restitution after pleading guilty to mail fraud conspiracy in federal court, the Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers’ Compensation reported. Clinton Battle...
Workers’ Compensation Research Study Shows No Treatment Delays Due to COVID
Jul 26 2021 // COVID-19 did not delay medical treatment for workers’ compensation claimants, but did decrease the amount of emergency care and other services provided to injured workers, a study released by the Workers’...
5.44% Workers’ Comp Rate Decrease Approved in Wisconsin
Jul 22 2021 // Wisconsin Insurance Commissioner Mark Afable has approved an overall 5.44 percent decrease in worker’s compensation insurance rates, effective Oct. 1, 2021. This is the sixth straight year of rate decreases in...
California Commissioner Lowers Workers’ Comp Benchmark
Jul 21 2021 // California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara lowered the workers’ compensation insurance benchmark rate by 5 cents to $1.41 per $100 of payroll effective Sept. 1. Lara’s decision results in an average...
California Workers’ Comp Report: Private Self-Insured Indemnity Claim Frequency, Paid & Incurred Losses Spiked in 2020
Jul 21 2021 // Workers’ comp claim frequency among California’s private self-insured employers rose in 2020, fueled by a big increase in the incidence of indemnity claims, offsetting a decline in medical-only claim frequency,...
OSHA: Workers, Residents at Missouri Care Facility Exposed to Asbestos
Jul 20 2021 // Workers and residents at a Missouri residential nursing facility were exposed asbestos hazards when three employers at the site failed to ensure safe removal of the known carcinogen during a flooring replacement project, a...
Washington Couple Face Felony Charges in $116K Workers’ Comp Scam
Jul 19 2021 // A married couple working at their son’s Vancouver, Wash., auto repair shop who claimed to be hurt at the shop and received workers’ compensation benefits for their injuries are now both charged with stealing...
Wisconsin Metal Fabricating Plant Faces $216K in OSHA Penalties
Jul 14 2021 // A Milwaukee, Wisconsin, metal fabricating facility continues to put its workers’ safety and health at risk, federal safety officials say. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health...
Cal/OSHA: Protect Workers from Unhealthy Air due to Wildfire Smoke
Jul 13 2021 // Cal/OSHA is cautioning California employers to be prepared to protect workers from unhealthy air due to wildfire smoke. When workers are at risk form unhealthy air from wildfires, California’s protection from...
Massachusetts Man Sentenced to Prison for Workers’ Compensation Fraud Scheme
Jul 9 2021 // A Massachusetts man has been sentenced to prison for a fraud scheme to evade payroll taxes and workers’ compensation requirements in the construction industry. U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced...
Five Ways to Position Workers’ Compensation in a COVID-19-impacted World
Jul 8 2021 // This post is part of a series sponsored by The Hanover Insurance Group. With prevailing economic pressures widely expected to persist, more and more businesses will consider different ways to adapt, including the...
Record Closed on California Workers’ Comp Pure Premium Rate Filing
Jul 7 2021 // The Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California wrapped up testimony on Wednesday at a California Department of Insurance public hearing regarding the WCIRB’s Sept. 1, 2021 pure premium rate...
OSHA Cites Missouri Grain Facility $215K Following Dust Explosion That Severely Injured Worker
Jul 2 2021 // OSHA has cited a Missouri grain-handling facility for one willful and six serious safety violations, and proposed penalties of $215,525. The safety agency said that if MFA Enterprises Inc. – operating as West Central...
California Workers’ Comp Insurer Losses and Expenses $12B for 2020
Jun 29 2021 // The Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California has released its latest report on workers’ comp losses and expenses for 2020. Key findings in the report, 2020 California Workers’...
Washington Dry-Cleaner Owner Accused of Faking Injury in Workers’ Comp Case
Jun 28 2021 // The owner-operator of an Olympia, Wash., dry cleaning business faces a felony charge alleging he stole workers’ compensation benefits by faking the severity of his injury. Byung Sung Kang, 54, is scheduled for...
Texas Data Call for COVID-19 Workers’ Comp Claims Extended
Jun 28 2021 // The Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC) has extended its mandatory data call to selected insurance carriers seeking certain information related to COVID-19 injuries reported to on...
Lessons from the Pandemic for Workers’ Compensation
Jun 28 2021 // The COVID-19 pandemic has taught us tough lessons. We have learned the strengths and limitations of globalization, our public health systems, and our ability to respond during a crisis. In the U.S. workers’...
OSHA Announces $21M in Workplace Safety Grants for Nonprofits
Jun 28 2021 // The Department of Labor announced funding opportunities for more than $21 million in Occupational Safety and Health Administration training grants for non-profit organizations. The first availability will provide $10...
Workers’ Compensation Profit Picture Looks Good in Short Term: Fitch
Jun 21 2021 // With favorable results driven by recent reductions in claims frequency and further recognition of material reserve redundancies, workers’ compensation underwriting performance is expected to remain strong in 2021,...
Rise in Texas Workers’ Comp Claims in 2020 Ends 20-Year Downward Trend
Jun 21 2021 // Despite the economic slowdown resulting from the COVID-19 business closures, the total number of workers’ compensation claims reported to the Texas Division of Workers’ Compensation rose in 2020 by 34% compared...
