workers’ compensation News

Once Praised, Settlement to Help BP Oil Spill Workers Leaves Most With Nearly Nothing

When a deadly explosion destroyed BP’s Deepwater Horizon drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico, 134 million gallons of crude erupted into the sea over the next three months — and tens of thousands of ordinary people were hired to …

Cable Company Worker Electrocuted While Working on Utility Pole in Upstate New York

A man working on a utility pole was electrocuted early Friday when low-hanging wires made contact with the basket of his truck, according to police. The cable company worker was doing routine maintenance in rural Berne, about 15 miles (24 …

DeSantis Signs Bill Barring Local Worker Heat Protection Measures

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis this week signed into law a prohibition on local governments requiring worker protections from heat exposure, a law that could potentially lead to more workers’ compensation claims from stricken laborers. At the same time, the state …

SC High Court Strikes ‘Troubling’ Denial of Comp Claim, Says Can’t Be Based on Stats

An employer cannot use an ergonomics report, showing that a work injury is statistically unlikely, to deny a workers’ compensation claim, the South Carolina Supreme Court said this week in an opinion that sharply questioned an appellate panel’s decision making. …

Federal Investigation Begins into Fatal Crane Collapse in Fort Lauderdale

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Federal job safety officials began their investigation Friday into the collapse of a crane in downtown Fort Lauderdale that killed one worker, injured three people and left morning traffic snarled. Investigators from the Occupational Safety …

Violence Against Nurses Climbed 5% Last Year, Report Shows

Reported assaults on nurses jumped 5% across the United States in 2023, according to a new report, raising questions for workers’ compensation insurers and potentially adding to calls for legislation from Congress. Press Ganey, a company that analyzes health care …

Arrowhead Launching Commercial Auto Product in California

Arrowhead General Insurance Agency Inc. in California launched a new commercial auto product. Arrowhead’s Commercial Auto is available to California customers in construction-related industries. The program includes: Contractor/construction risks. Target premium range of $2,500 to $50,000 in total premium. California …

Virginia Gov. Youngkin Vetoes Retail Marijuana, Minimum Wage Hike, Workers’ Comp Bills

Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoed two top Democratic legislative priorities last Thursday: bills that would have allowed the recreational retail sales of marijuana to begin next year and measures mandating a minimum wage increase. The development, which drew criticism …

Virginia Teacher Secures Right to Trial Against School Over Shooting by 6-Year Old

The claims filed by a Virginia teacher who was injured when shot by a 6-year old student will be heard at a trial and not in the state’s workers’ compensation system. The Virginia Court of Appeals on March 29 declined …

Update: NC High Court Strikes Down Compensability of Weight-Loss Surgery

The North Carolina Supreme Court has undone rulings by an appeals court and the state’s Industrial Commission that had granted workers’ compensation insurance payments for a woman’s weight-loss surgery. And in doing that, the high court formally adopted a multi-factor …