workers’ compensation News

Commentary: Hopeful Outlook for Workers’ Comp

As we pass the halfway point of 2014, the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) is relatively optimistic about the outlook for the workers’ compensation market in America. Industry costs remain largely contained. There is a reasonable expectation of some …

NCCI Proposes Workers’ Comp Loss Costs Decrease in N.H.

The National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) recently delivered a workers’ compensation loss cost filing to the New Hampshire Insurance Department. NCCI said that based upon its review of the most recently available data, it has proposed for New Hampshire …

Oil Boom Drawing Teachers Away from Texas School Districts

A Texas school district is scrambling to prepare for the upcoming school year after the Eagle Ford Shale oil boom led to staffing problems. The Alice Independent School District still has to fill 21 teaching positions before classes start in …

NYS Comp Board Vice Chair’s Laptop, Phones Seized: Report

Agents from the office of New York Attorney General and the FBI last week seized documents, a laptop and cell phones belonging to Frances Libous, vice chair of the New York State Workers’ Compensation Board and wife of New York …

Texas Plastics Plant Hit with $174K Fine for Safety and Health Violations

Plastic Systems LLC in El Paso, Texas, was cited by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration for 21 safety and health violations, including six repeat, for failing to develop adequate lockout/tagout procedures to control the unexpected …

Female Bank Robbery Conspirator Charged With Workers’ Comp Fraud

Aurora Barrera, 33, of Downey was arrested on charges related to her allegedly submitting a fraudulent workers’ compensation claim for treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder associated with a robbery, she assisted in staging – at a bank where she worked …

St. Louis Propane Truck Explosion Injures 6 Workers

A worker at a St. Louis truck terminal was in critical condition on Aug. 8 after a propane tank explosion that injured him and five co-workers. The explosion happened the previous night at a trucking terminal near downtown operated by …

OSHA: Safety Violations Continue at Oklahoma Oil Refinery

U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited an Oklahoma oil refinery with five repeat and three serious violations for continuing to expose workers to unsafe conditions. As a result, OSHA imposed a fine of $184,800 on …

Virginia Sets Hearing on Workers’ Comp Premium Level Adjustments

Virginia’s State Corporation Commission (SCC) has scheduled an October hearing to consider a request filed by the National Council on Compensation Insurance Inc. (NCCI) to adjust the premium levels charged for workers’ compensation insurance. NCCI has proposed a decrease in …

Baton Rouge-Area Among Top Gainers for New Construction Jobs

Large amounts of construction in the Baton Rouge, La.-area has led the region to be named among the top gainers in the nation for new construction jobs. NOLA.com/The Times-Picayune reports the recognition was announced on July 30 in a report …