The Oklahoma Workers’ Compensation Commission announced personnel updates and changes in contact information within the Court of Existing Claims. The commission said Katrina Stephenson, who will become judicial liaison and order…

The U.S. Department of Labor's federal Black Lung Program has set outreach events for current and former coal miners with disabilities related to black lung disease in Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky. Miners' families and…

A federal appellate court upheld a finding that a worker’s coal mine employment caused his pneumoconiosis. Case: Lance Coal Corp. v. OWCP, No. 23-3779, 05/09/2024, unpublished. Facts: Virgil Combs worked for Lance…

The Workers Compensation Research Institute is holding a 30-minute webinar on June 6 to discuss the impact of excessive heat on workplace injuries. WCRI recently released a study measuring the extent…

California’s Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau and the Oklahoma Workers’ Compensation Commission on Wednesday announced plans to launch new websites. The Oklahoma Workers’ Compensation Commission announced that it will unveil its…

A divided federal appellate court overturned an award of black lung benefits to a coal miner based on an administrative law judge’s misapplication of the burden of proof for a legal…

The U.S. Department of Labor will host an informational session in Lisle, Illinois, to discuss benefits available under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Act. The program provides lump-sum payments and…

Physician assistants and nurse practitioners would be authorized to treat injured federal workers under a bill being debated in the U.S. House of Representatives. HR 618, by Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Mich., would add…

The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services updated its work comp set-aside reference guide to add expand a section that addresses coordinating benefit payments with other health insurers. CMS on…

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…

Tower MSA Partners is holding a webinar Oct. 2  covering the ins and outs of Medicare set-asides. Dan Anders The program will cover topics including the appropriate time to obtain a…

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…

Enlyte on Thursday announced the launch of Apricus Physical Medicine, a network for rehabilitation services, including occupational therapy and physical therapy. Enlyte said its specialty network brand will provide injured workers…

The Iowa Court of Appeals upheld an award of permanent total disability benefits for a worker who experienced issues on his left side after a back injury before symptoms shifted to…

The Connecticut Insider on Wednesday reported that a state lawmaker received more than $100,000 in workers’ compensation benefits despite having three outside sources of income that he never disclosed. Sen. Paul…

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…

Two senators in Connecticut announced plans to introduce legislation that would treat substance abuse as an occupational hazard. “If a worker is injured on the job, they receive treatment, but if…

The Hartford Courant on Thursday reported that the New York State Workers’ Compensation Board alleges a congressional candidate from Connecticut owes $52,102 in fines and penalties for allegedly operating a…

The Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission announced that Wesley G. Marshall was elected to a three-year term as chairman, effective Monday. Wesley G. Marshall Marshall succeeds Commissioner Robert A. Rapaport, whose term…

The Virginia Court of Appeals upheld an award of inpatient residential care at an assisted living facility for a worker with a traumatic brain injury. Case: Rockingham County School Board v.

The West Virginia Intermediate Court of Appeals upheld the denial of a worker’s claim for injuries allegedly suffered while assisting a colleague having a medical emergency. Case: Hollandsworth v. Workforce West…

The West Virginia Intermediate Court of Appeals upheld a determination that an injured worker was entitled to additional physical therapy for her leg injury. Case: ACNR Resources Inc. v. Goff, No.

The West Virginia Intermediate Court of Appeals upheld a denial of benefits to a worker for an alleged back injury. Case: Cecil v. Pepsi-Cola Metropolitan Bottling Co., No. 24-ICA-53, 07/30/2024, unpublished. Facts:…

The West Virginia Supreme Court upheld the expansion of a worker’s claim to add a shoulder injury. Case: Gibson v. Blackhawk Mining LLC, No. 23-178, 08/01/2024, published. Facts: Timothy Gibson worked for…

The West Virginia Supreme Court upheld the denial of a worker's request for additional benefits and the expansion of her claim. Case: Martin v. Wal-Mart Associates Inc., No. 23-115, 08/01/2024, published. Facts: Irene Martin…

The West Virginia Supreme Court upheld the expansion of a worker’s claim to include additional conditions. Case: McKinney v. Little General Store Inc., No. 23-117, 08/01/2024, published. Facts: Marilyn McKinney worked for…

West Virginia’s Intermediate Court of Appeals upheld the denial of a widow’s claim for benefits, finding her late husband’s occupational pneumoconiosis had not materially contributed to his death. Sherman Bailey received…

The West Virginia Supreme Court upheld the denial of a worker’s occupational pneumoconiosis claim. Case: Lewis v. Columbia West Virginia Corp., No. 23-616, 09/23/2024, published. Facts: Jackie W. Lewis Sr. worked for…

West Virginia’s Intermediate Court of Appeals upheld the denial of a school worker’s claim of injury from a child tapping her on the head. Case: Hill v. Wyoming County Board of…

West Virginia’s Intermediate Court of Appeals upheld a determination that a worker was not entitled to an increase in his permanent partial disability award for occupational pneumoconiosis. Case: Lucey v. Murray…

The Minnesota Court of Appeals upheld the summary dismissal of a worker’s civil suit against his supervisor for his injuries from motor vehicle accident caused when the supervisor fell asleep…

The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry announced that maximum hourly fees for vocational rehabilitation services are increasing 2.62%, effective Oct. 1. The department said the maximum qualified rehabilitation consultant hourly…

The Colorado Division of Workers’ Compensation is holding a meeting to discuss a preliminary draft of updated rules for the independent medical examination process. Draft rules that the division is considering…

In a case of first impression, the Colorado Court of Appeals ruled that when assessing whether a worker is at maximum medical improvement, a physician may consider all relevant body…

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…

The Texas Division of Workers’ Compensation is hosting a webinar on May 22 to discuss presiding officer directives. The division said the program will focus on the origin of presiding officer…

A divided Texas appellate court upheld the summary dismissal of a widow’s intentional tort claims arising from her husband’s fatal motor vehicle accident in Oklahoma. Justin Schneider worked for QES Pressure…

A Texas appellate court ruled that a nonsignatory to an agreement could not compel arbitration of a family’s wrongful death claims despite its purported adoption of an occupational injury benefit…

The Texas Division of Workers’ Compensation posted proposed changes to its pharmacy benefit rules that remove obsolete provisions and update reference language for consistency with other regulations. “When the rules were originally adopted,…

The Texas Division of Workers’ Compensation is holding its regular quarterly stakeholder meetings for carriers and providers Sept. 5. The provider quarterly meeting will cover topics including designated doctor billing rules,…

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 claimants' attorney in Mississippi is facing a trio of lawsuits after having a client arrested for cashing what turned out to be the settlement check of another injured worker…

The Maryland Appellate Court ruled that the state Workers’ Compensation Commission used an appropriate methodology to calculate a worker’s average weekly wages but miscalculated the amount by relying on an improper…

The Washington Court of Appeals has granted a motion by the Department of Labor and Industries to order the publication of a decision that upheld a $1.7 million judgment against…

The Washington Court of Appeals upheld the denial of an injured worker’s request to reopen her claim due to her failure to timely perfect her appeal of the decision of…

The Washington Court of Appeals upheld a determination that a worker was not entitled to reopen his claim for a neck injury because he failed to prove that the accident contributed…

The Washington State Department of Labor and Industries said a Seattle construction company is facing $155,300 in fines for knowingly putting workers at serious risk of injury or death by…

The Washington State Department of Labor and Industries fined a cabinet maker $187,000 after finding that the company did not fix safety violations that led to similar citations in 2019. L&I…

A man who allegedly started a metal fabrication shop just weeks after suffering a workplace injury was charged with felony theft for allegedly stealing about $340,000 in indemnity benefits, the…

What has changed for physician billing for 2015, new conversion factors, updated regulations, dispute resolution trends.