It Figures

17

In the wake of deadly tornadoes that swept through sections of Oklahoma on Feb. 10, Gov. Brad Henry declared a state of emergency for 17 Oklahoma counties. A tornado in the town of Lone Grove initially killed eight people and injured dozens more. A man who was injured in the storm and transferred to a Dallas hospital reportedly died later from his injuries. Twisters caused extensive damage in several Oklahoma communities, including Edmond, Oklahoma City, Pawnee, Wilson and Springer. The Lone Grove tornado is the deadliest in Oklahoma since 1999, according to the governor’s office. On May 3 of that year, tornadoes in the central part of the state resulted in more than 40 deaths. The counties included in the governor’s declaration are: Canadian, Carter, Cleveland, Garvin, Jefferson, Lincoln, Logan, Love, Murray, Oklahoma, Pawnee, Payne, Pontotoc, Pottawatomie, Nowata, Osage and Washington.

1 in 5

As many as one in five businesses in Louisiana may be breaking the law requiring them to insure their workers against accidents, according to Associated Press reports. The Louisiana Workforce Commission and the Attorney General’s Office announced a new fraud detection program on Feb. 6. The Office of Workers’ Compensation typically learns about potential employer noncompliance from its fraud hotline or directly from its Finance and Compliance Section. Noncompliance can be the result of misclassifying employees, failing to maintain workers’ compensation coverage for employees or operating in the underground economy by working individuals completely off the books. Violators will face penalties of $250 per employee, per incident. Employers who continue to violate or intentionally violate these provisions may face larger fines, an injunction from conducting business in the state or the possibility of jail, the Workforce Commission reported.

$6.4 Million

The Louisiana Department of Insurance Property and Casualty Consumer Affairs Division helped insurance consumers in the state to receive approximately $6,400,000 in insurance payments from claim disputes last year. The department reported that it was able to work with insurance companies and consumers involved in claims disputes to recover funds above the amount the insurers originally offered the consumers to settle their claims.