A simple solution to gerrymandering crumbles when confronted with math’s ‘ham sandwich theorem’

The origin of the decimal point, a powerful calculation tool, has been traced back to a mathematician who lived during the Italian Renaissance

The Oregon Workers’ Compensation Division announced that maximum temporary total disability benefits and attorney fees are increasing on July 1 along with the threshold used to determine whether employment is…

The Oregon Workers’ Compensation Division on Friday announced that it updated the form used to request a change of provider to replace the term “physician assistant” with “physician associate.” The WCD…

The Oregon Court of Appeals ruled that an insurance carrier did not have to treat a worker as having a combined condition when none of her impairment was related to her compensable…

The Oregon Workers’ Compensation Division reported that covered employment and the number of accepted disabling claims increased in 2022, resulting in the claims rate per 100 workers remaining the same as…

The Oregon Workers’ Compensation Division on Monday published a bulletin explaining how to calculate self-insured employer premium assessments for the upcoming fiscal year. Self-insureds can choose premium assessments using either a…

The Oregon Court of Appeals ruled that an insurer was obligated to modify its notice of acceptance upon receipt of a report that clearly identified a meniscus tear caused by…

The Oregon Court of Appeals overturned a jury’s $10 million verdict in favor of a worker’s widow for his asbestos exposures. Case: Ibarra v. C.H. Murphy/Clark-Ullman Inc., No. 411, 06/20/2024, unpublished. Facts…

The Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services said it received notice of seven fatalities accepted for workers’ compensation benefits in the first three months of 2024, one less than…

The Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division fined a building materials supplier $92,226 for repeatedly failing to protect workers from potential fall hazards that it said could seriously injure or…

Oregon's Workers' Compensation Division has posted amendments to rules governing the assessment that supports the state's Workers' Benefit Fund. The proposed changes are as follows: Amended Rule 003 includes the effective date for OAR 436-070,…

The Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services reported that it received notice of 42 fatalities accepted for workers’ compensation benefits in 2023. The 42 compensable workplace fatalities represent a 40%…

The Oregon Workers’ Compensation Division's rulemaking advisory committee will review medical treatment regulations during a Nov. 5 meeting. The division said a preliminary list of topics that the committee will discuss…

The Oregon Workers’ Compensation Division on Thursday announced that most lodging and meal reimbursement rates for injured workers who travel to medical appointments will increase Oct. 1. The standard lodging rate…

Oregon's Management-Labor Advisory Committee meets at 10 a.m. Oct. 10 to cover a variety of topics. Among the agenda items are case law updates, a discussion of the state's Preferred Worker Program and a presentation from the…

The Oregon Workers' Compensation Division announced that premium assessment rates will remain unchanged in 2025. The division said the premium assessment rate for 2025 will be 9.8%, the same as it…

The Indiana Court of Appeals ruled that a trial judge miscalculated an insurance provider’s lien against a truck driver’s third-party recovery for an accident that resulted in the loss of…

The Workers Compensation Research Institute reported that medical payments per claim in Indiana were higher than typical among the 17 states included in a recent study. WCRI said its analysis of…

The Rhode Island Superior Court upheld a denial of accidental disability retirement benefits to a former Department of Motor Vehicles employee. Case: Williams v. Employees’ Retirement System of Rhode Island, No.

The District of Columbia Court of Appeals overturned the denial of a university employee’s claim for injuries from a collision with a jogger as she walked along a public sidewalk…

The District of Columbia Court of Appeals suspended for nine months an attorney with a long disciplinary history. Nelson Gonzalez is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia and New Jersey. He has been…

The District of Columbia’s highest court overturned a finding that an injured worker was not an employee within the meaning of the Workers’ Compensation Act. Case: Sanchez Lopez v. DOES, No. 22-AA-0765,…

The District of Columbia’s highest court ruled that the Office of Administrative Hearings lacks authority to review penalty calculations by the Office of Risk Management. Luigi Buitrago injured his back in…

A federal appellate court upheld the imposition of liability for a coal miner’s Black Lung Benefits Act claim on the self-insured parent of his final employer. David Howard spent 17 years…

The District of Columbia’s high court overturned the denial of a former professional soccer player’s claim for benefits for a right knee injury allegedly caused by a decades-old injury to her…

The Illinois Appellate Court overturned a denial of benefits for the son of a worker who died of a heart attack. Richard Cronk worked for Kimball Hill Homes as a construction manager.

The Illinois General Assembly sent the governor a recently amended bill including provisions that would increase surcharges by 8% and charge the state attorney general with collecting unpaid penalties for…

A federal appellate court scolded an insured for its frivolous defense during arbitration with its carrier and threatened to sanction the insured for its frivolous challenge to the arbitration award. Case: American…

A federal appellate court upheld the dismissal of an insurance carrier’s garnishment claim against another carrier seeking to collect a default judgment against an employer for a workers’ compensation claim. Case:…

A federal appellate court upheld the summary dismissal of a widow’s wrongful death claim against the parent company of her late-husband’s employer. Case: Mesenbring v. Rollins Inc., No. 23-2473, 06/28/2024, published. Facts:…

An Illinois appeals court overturned the denial of death benefits to a deceased worker’s adult son, finding that the father's fatal heart attack was compensable and that the son was an…

A federal appellate court upheld the summary dismissal of a worker’s claim of retaliation for pursuing workers’ compensation benefits. Paula Emerson began working for the Cook County Sheriff’s Office in 2008.

Chicago’s Office of Inspector General said in its latest audit that contracting with a third-party administrator represented a “major improvement” in running the city’s work comp program compared to the…

The Illinois Chamber of Commerce and Illinois Self Insurers’ Association opened registration for their Workers’ Compensation and Safety Conference scheduled for Oct. 9 in Lisle. The conference will feature a case law…

The Illinois Appellate Court ruled that the Public Employee Disability Act does not prohibit an employer from withholding taxes from a worker’s benefits. Case: Bitner v. City of Pekin, No. 4-23-0718,…

Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Monday announced several arbitrator reappointments to the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission. The reappointed arbitrators are: Joseph Amarilio. Crystal Caison. Paul Cellini. Ana Vazquez Diaz. Gerald Granada. Jessica Hegarty. Adam Hinrichs. Jeffrey Huebsch. Nina Mariano. Maureen Pulia. Pritzker has also appointed…

A federal appellate court ruled that a worker’s claim that his employer’s health plan administrator violated Illinois law was preempted by federal law. Case: Carnes v. HMO Louisiana Inc., No. 4:22-cv-04179,…

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Monday appointed Magda Derisma-Oyewole as an arbitrator for the state Workers’ Compensation Commission. Magda Derisma-Oyewole Derisma-Oyewole has been a practicing attorney since 2015 and focused on…

Long-tenured Illinois workers’ compensation attorney James K. Keefe Sr. died at the age of 68. James K. Keefe Sr. (kasslyfuneral.com) Keefe died at his home Sept. 9, the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission said…

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court will decide whether general contractors can be denied statutory employer status if they have not paid benefits to a subcontractor’s injured employee and whether the statutory employer defense is…

A Pennsylvania appellate court on Monday ordered a workers’ compensation judge to determine whether an employer should be penalized for failing to reimburse an injured worker for medical cannabis. The Commonwealth…

The Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania upheld the denial of a widow’s claim for a truck driver’s fatal heart attack. Case: Dnistranskiy v. Brite Logistics Inc. (WCAB), No. 414 C.D. 2023, 05/10/2024,…

The Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania ruled that when an injured worker is a sole proprietor, he must report a work-related injury to the insurance carrier for the business within 120…

The Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania upheld the denial of a worker’s claim for benefits based on his industrial lead exposure. Case: Mercer v. Active Radiator MPN Inc., No. 1326 C.D. 2023,…

The Pennsylvania House Labor and Industry Committee on Tuesday held an informational meeting to hear testimony from industry experts on the harmful effects of worker misclassification. Christopher Hallock, deputy secretary of…

The Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania upheld an administrative decision finding that an employer could not join another entity and its insurance carrier as liable parties for a worker’s fatal accident. Case:…

The Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania upheld the dismissal of a worker’s untimely appeal of the denial of his workers’ compensation claim. Case: Oldfield v. Popcorn Alley Inc., No. 233 C.D. 2023,…

The Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania ruled that Amazon.com was not entitled to join an injured employee’s prior employer as a defendant in her claim and that she was entitled to…

The Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania rejected an injured municipal employee’s constitutional challenges to the state's new impairment rating process. Case: Epps v. City of Philadelphia (WCAB), No. 835 C.D. 2023, 07/08/2024,…