A California appellate court has ordered the publication of its decision from last month finding that a trial judge prejudicially erred in excluding the testimony of a railway worker’s expert…

The Michigan Court of Appeals ruled that a worker was partially disabled by carpal tunnel syndrome and the Workers’ Disability Compensation Appeals Commission should address whether she received an overpayment…

A federal appellate court ruled that a contractor who hired a crane company’s services was immune from civil liability for injuries suffered by an employee of the crane company. Case: Hall v.

A federal appellate court has again ruled that a contractor was immune from civil liability for injuries suffered by an employee of a crane company it hired. Case: Hall v. SAC…

The Georgia Court of Appeals ruled that an employer can face civil liability for the death of an employee who was shot at work by a colleague. Solo Cup Operating Corp.

The Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled that if a worker is injured as a passenger in an employer-owned vehicle, and workers’ compensation exclusivity precludes a recovery under the automobile liability policy, the…

The Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled that an employer may not contractually create common-law negligence liability by setting additional nonemployer roles or capacities when the liability is based on the same physical…

A divided Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled that an employee who injures a colleague must be acting within the course and scope of employment when the incident occurs to receive the…

The Arkansas Court of Appeals upheld a determination that a worker was not permanently and totally disabled by the loss of her left eye. Case: Murphy v. Arkansas Department of Correction,…

The U.S. Department of Labor released a proposed rule that would require employers to develop an injury and illness prevention plan to control heat hazards in workplaces affected by excessive…

The U.S. Department of Labor is seeking nominations for four positions on the National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health. The department said it is seeking one public representative, one…

Shipping giant Maersk Line Ltd. agreed to end a policy requiring workers to notify the company of any safety concerns before contacting the Coast Guard, the U.S. Department of Labor announced. Maersk…

A federal appellate court created a split among the circuits on whether the parent company of a self-insuring coal mine operator can be held liable for black lung benefits owed…

Workplace safety regulators in California and Washington state proposed nearly $500,000 in penalties for 10 employers accused of exposing workers to crystalline silica dust. The California Division of Occupational Safety and…

The U.S. Labor Department said it received more than $350,000 in back wages for workers at a Michigan construction company who were misclassified as contractors and for a truck driver…

The U.S. Labor Department on Thursday announced that it awarded $12.7 million to 102 nonprofits throughout the country to pay for educational and training initiatives aimed at improving workplace safety. Funds…

A federal judge ordered CSX Transportation Inc. to pay $453,510 to two railroad workers who were fired after raising workplace safety concerns in 2017. The judge also ordered the company to…

The Iowa Supreme Court overturned a finding that the Second Injury Fund was not liable for a worker’s permanent total disability after she suffered two different leg injuries. Case: Delaney v.

Federal workplace safety investigators fined a Massachusetts waterproofing contractor $283,115 for safety violations they say led to a worker's death. Gerceir Osvaldo DeFaria, 51, was killed in February 2024 when part…

A finding that an injured worker is totally incapacitated does not create an entitlement to permanent disability benefits as a matter of law, a split Connecticut Supreme Court said in…

The Connecticut Appellate Court decided that a city was no longer liable for benefits to its former fire chief under a pension offset and that its appeal regarding benefits, interest and…

The West Virginia Intermediate Court of Appeals ruled that the Workers’ Compensation Board of Review erred in applying the standard of compensability for occupational pneumoconiosis to a widow’s claim for…

A federal appellate court upheld the summary dismissal of an injured mechanic’s claim for disability discrimination. Case: Goosen v. Minnesota Department of Transportation, No. 23-2360, 06/24/2024, published. Facts: Robert Wayne Goosen worked…

The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry announced that starting Aug. 1, a new penalty of $500 can be assessed to health care provider agents who violate certain laws relating…

Colorado’s Pinnacol Assurance urged the state’s employers to be proactive in reviewing and enhancing their vehicle safety protocols, saying heavily traveled roads during summer months increase the risk of accidents. Pinnacol…

The Colorado Supreme Court ruled that when a worker is injured in the course of his employment by the acts of an underinsured third-party tortfeasor, workers’ compensation exclusivity does not bar him…

A Texas appellate court ruled that a public school district was immune from civil liability to a former employee on her retaliatory discharge claim. Case: Conroe Independent School District v. Osuna,…

A Texas appellate court ruled that an employer’s alleged administrative violations did not prevent it from presenting and prevailing on its exclusivity defense. Robert Lane worked for Odle Inc. After he allegedly suffered…

A Texas appellate court dismissed an insurance carrier’s challenge to a trial judge’s finding of compensability for a worker’s death, ruling that the judgment entered had been void. Case: Texas Mutual…

The U.S. Department of Labor announced that it settled with a Mississippi poultry facility, requiring the company to pay $164,814 in fines and implement enhanced safety measures to protect workers from…

A split Mississippi Court of Appeals upheld a finding that a worker’s compensable right-foot injury did not leave her permanently and totally disabled and that her left-foot injury was not compensable. Case:…

The Maryland Appellate Court rejected a dispute over whether an injured worker qualified as a public safety employee due to a lack of jurisdiction. Case: Clifton T. Perkins Hospital v. Frierson, No.

Two companies were fined a combined $650,000 after a worker died in an apple storage facility that had a low oxygen level to prevent fruit from spoiling, the Washington State…

The Washington State Department of Labor and Industries fined four roofing companies a combined $1.27 million for allowing people to work on top of homes without fall protection gear. L&I said…

The Washington Court of Appeals ruled that a property owner was not entitled to summary judgment dismissing a civil suit brought by an injured employee of a contractor hired to…

This one-hour session will provide an in-depth look at how SB863 has impacted permanent disability outcomes and costs in the California Workers’ Compensation system.

Recent changes to both Inpatient and Outpatient facility billing for 2015.

This six hour course will cover the Burden of Proof on Causation of Disability and includes the ultimate checklist for handling a Guzman rebuttal case.

"Work Comp Matters" - the central location for all your workers' compensation, employment and labor law matters. Steve Appell hosts this weekly podcast from sunny southern California - presenting some…

This program will educate attorneys and claims adjusters on the various methods for assessing the credibility of psychiatric injury claims. Attorneys will gain a better understanding of psychological testing and…

On this edition of work comp matters, Steve & the boys talk about all the presidents men and who is guilty and who is not. Also, Ted talks about a…

During this episode of Work Comp Matters Steve, Robert, Mike & Ted talk about governor Gavin Newsom placing a stay on the death penalty, the Nationwide college admissions scandal regarding…

The Connecticut Division of Criminal Justice announced that a former state trooper who operated a silk-screening business while receiving temporary disability benefits pleaded guilty to two counts of larceny. Kevin Moore,…

A New York appellate court upheld a determination that an injured worker was not entitled to an increase in his loss of wage-earning capacity after his claim was expanded to…

West Virginia’s Intermediate Court of Appeals upheld a finding of compensability for a worker’s back injury. Case: Toyota Motor Manufacturing WV Inc. v. Adkins, No. 24-ICA-181, 10/28/2024, unpublished. Facts: Donnie Adkins worked…

The U.S. Department of Labor reported an 11% reduction in workplace fatality investigations in the most recent fiscal year. The 826 worker deaths investigated during the fiscal year that ended June…

Sedgwick on Monday announced that it named Andrea Buhl president of its casualty group. Andrea Buhl Buhl has held numerous leadership roles at Sedgwick over the last 15 years, most recently…

A New York appellate court ruled that a worker was entitled to partial summary judgment on his Labor Law claim, and that a third-party defendant should have been granted summary…

The Illinois Appellate Court upheld the denial of a disability pension to a police officer who refused surgery to address his injury. Case: Shirley v. Village of Clarendon Hills Police Pension…

Hon. Clint Feddersen designed this course to prepare experienced workers' compensation attorneys to become California Certified Legal Specialists in Workers' Compensation Law.