workers’ compensation News

Return to Work Delayed by Doctors Ignoring Treatment Guidelines for Back Pain: Study

Medical guidelines help doctors understand the best way to treat health conditions yet many doctors do not adhere to them, and this is a problem in particular for patients with back pain, according to scientists at University of Utah Health …

Texas Tortilla Factory Fined $218K for Workplace Safety Violations

A San Marcos, Texas-based tortilla manufacturer has been cited for repeat and serious workplace safety violations, and faces penalties of more than $200,000, federal regulators say. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration said previous inspections have given the operators of …

Mass. Construction Company Owner Charged with Payroll, Workers’ Comp Fraud

The owner of a Revere, Massachusetts, construction company was sentenced on June 10, 2021, on charges of engaging in an under-the-table payroll fraud scheme that defrauded the government of more than $500,000 and insurance carriers of approximately $93,000. Ralph Caruso, …

Workers’ Compensation Profit Picture Looks Good in Short Term: Fitch

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, according to Fitch Ratings. However, this level of profitability is unsustainable longer …

Worker Dead After Becoming Stuck in Iowa Cattle Farm Manure Tank

A man died after becoming stuck in a manure tank on an eastern Iowa cattle farm, authorities said. The death occurred on June 8 at a farm in Stockton and was reported by authorities there the next day, the Quad-City …

New Jersey USPS Mail Carrier Charged with Workers’ Compensation Fraud

A New Jersey U.S. Postal Service (USPS) mail carrier has been charged with making false statements to obtain federal workers’ compensation benefits. Aida Perez, of Roselle Park, New Jersey, has been charged by complaint with one count of knowingly and …

Amazon to Overhaul Warehouse Worker Metric Cited in Injuries

Amazon.com Inc. is overhauling a controversial worker-productivity yardstick that has drawn the ire of warehouse employees who say it imposes an unsafe burden on them. The world’s largest online retailer uses sophisticated algorithms to monitor productivity at its facilities, and …

Workers’ Comp Insurer SUNZ Expands into 13 Additional States

Florida-based SUNZ Insurance Co. is now licensed to write workers’ compensation policies in 13 additional states: Colorado, Hawaii, Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin. With the addition of these …

CWCI: California Workers’ Comp Direct Written Premium Fell 11.4% in 2020

Total direct written premium in the California workers’ compensation system fell by 11.4% in 2020, dropping to an eight-year low driven by the ongoing decline in insurers’ average charged rates and relatively flat payroll levels, according to an analysis from …

Assaulted by Passenger, Southwest Airlines Flight Attendant Loses 2 Teeth

A flight attendant for Dallas-based Southwest Airlines was assaulted by a passenger and lost two teeth in the attack last weekend, according to a union president, who complained to the airline’s CEO about unruly passengers. “Unfortunately, this is just one …