workers’ compensation News

Washington Court Upholds Authority to Pursue Charges in Workplace Death

The Washington State Supreme Court has ruled that an employer can be charged with a felony in connection with a workplace fatality. The recent decision clears the way for the King County Prosecutor to move forward with second-degree manslaughter charges …

Worker Injuries Rise as Oklahoma Pork Plant Speeds Up Slaughtering

One of America’s leading pig slaughterhouses is running faster than ever as meatpackers hustle to keep pork in grocery stores during the COVID-19 pandemic. Plant worker Hector Ixquier says it’s time to slow down. Ixquier said he sought medical treatment …

California School Employee Arraigned for Workers’ Comp Fraud After Virus Diagnosis

Stephanie Medrano, 33, of West Covina, Calif., was arraigned on Tuesday on multiple counts of grand theft and insurance fraud after allegedly making misrepresentations following a COVID-19 diagnosis in an attempt to collect more than $33,000 in undeserved workers’ compensation …

Judge Tosses Wife’s Suit Blaming Employer for Her Husband’s Covid

A federal judge tossed out a first-of-its-kind lawsuit that sought to hold an employer responsible for a worker’s spouse getting sick with Covid-19. U.S. District Judge Maxine M. Chesney in San Francisco on Monday dismissed the complaint filed by Corby …

Bills That Help First Responders Hit by COVID-19 Advance in Virginia

Virginia lawmakers have passed bills that allow certain first responders to file workers’ compensation benefits for being disabled from COVID-19, but still need to reach agreement on some differences. The measures would make COVID-19 an occupational disease for firefighters, emergency …

Viewpoint: Biometric Information Privacy Statutes Could Be a Minefield for Insurers

In recent years, there has been a dramatic increase in private entity use of biometric-dependent technology to assist with employee timekeeping, financial transactions and security. In turn, privacy concerns regarding biometric information have intensified, prompting legislators to enact statutory protections …

Wife Sues Husband’s Employer Over COVID-19 Infection

A federal judge is weighing what she called a first-of-its-kind lawsuit that would hold an employer responsible for a worker’s spouse getting sick with Covid-19. Plenty of families have sued businesses, from retailers to meatpacking plants, claiming that unsafe workspaces …

Barta Reappointed as Texas Injured Employee Public Counsel

Jessica Barta has been reappointed as Texas’ Injured Employee Public Counsel, a role in which she has served since October 2014. Her current term would expire on Feb. 1 2023. The Public Counsel helps injured employees in the workers’ compensation …

It Could Have Been Worse. An Update on COVID-19 Impact on Workers’ Compensation.

While it obviously presented challenges, 2020 is looking like it may not have been such a bad year for workers’ compensation insurers and insureds after all. Insurers took in less premium but paid fewer claims. They managed to one of …

A.I.M. Mutual Expands Coverage Territory to Rhode Island

A.I.M. Mutual has expanded its coverage territory to Rhode Island. The company, a monoline workers’ compensation carrier based in Massachusetts, was licensed in the Ocean State effective February 1. With the addition of Rhode Island, A.I.M. Mutual now provides workers’ …