workers’ compensation News

Job Development, Worker Recruitment Initiative in South Dakota Falls Short

An initiative by South Dakota Republican Gov. Dennis Daugaard that was intended to draw 1,000 workers to the state has come up far short. Daugaard announced the New South Dakotans initiative in January 2012 and predicted the effect would be …

Indiana Steelworkers Await High Court Ruling on Pay for Donning Protective Gear

A group of Indiana steelworkers is awaiting a U.S. Supreme Court decision on when the clock starts on their shifts at U.S. Steel Gary Works. The nation’s highest court recently heard arguments in a case filed by eight people challenging …

South Texas Jury Awards $281 Million in Lawsuit

The family of a man killed by a part breaking off a truck doing Eagle Ford Shale oilfield work has won a $281 million lawsuit judgment from a South Texas jury. The Dimmit County lawsuit stemmed from the May, 29, …

Costs per Workers’ Comp Claims in Michigan Low Prior to 2011 Reforms

The total costs for a workers’ compensation claim in Michigan were low compared with other states according to a recent study by the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI), Michigan System Performance Prior to the 2011 Legislative Changes: CompScope Benchmarks, 14th …

Family of Minnesota Man Who Died in Workplace Fall Sues

The family of a worker who died in a fall at a grain facility in Buffalo Lake, Minn., has filed a wrongful death lawsuit. Andrew Burnett, 28, of New Ulm, died Oct. 27, 2012, when he fell about 60 feet …

NCCI Proposes Increase for Workers’ Comp Loss Costs in Rhode Island

The National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) recently delivered a workers’ compensation loss cost filing to the Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation. Based upon its review of the most recently available data, NCCI has proposed on Nov. 25 an …

Virginia SCC Approves Revisions to Workers’ Comp Premium Levels

Virginia’s State Corporation Commission (SCC) last week approved revisions to the premium levels charged for the state’s workers’ compensation insurance. Workers’ compensation insurance provides medical care and wage replacement benefits to injured workers. Almost all Virginia employers are required to …

Group Health Plans Pay for ‘Zero-Cost’ Workers’ Compensation Claims: Study

Workers’ compensation claims that result in no payment lead to millions of dollars in increased costs for employee group insurance plans, new research shows. Nationwide, so-called “zero-cost” workers’ compensation claims could cost group health insurance plans more than $200 million …

Kansas City Chiefs Sued by Former Players Over Head Injuries

Five former Kansas City Chiefs players who were on the team between 1987 and 1993 have filed a lawsuit claiming the team hid and even lied about the risks of head injuries during that time period when there was no …

Illinois Central Railroad Faces Fines of $110,500 for Lead Exposure

Illinois Central Railroad Co. has been cited by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration for one willful and six serious safety violations for exposing workers to lead hazards. Proposed penalties total $110,500. OSHA began its inspection …