A New York appellate court rejected an insurance carrier’s challenge to its liability for injuries two workers suffered while being transported in a van to a jobsite. Case: Matter of Reyes Bonilla…

A New York appellate court ruled that a worker should have been granted partial summary judgment on his Labor Law claims but split on whether a subcontractor on the project…

A federal appellate court ruled that an insurance carrier’s failure to issue notice of its disclaimer of liability to two additional insureds prevented it from relying on an exclusion to defeat demands…

A New York appellate court ruled that the defendants in a Labor Law action were entitled to a trial, but they could not have a jury’s determination on damages set…

A New York appellate court ruled that a worker was properly denied leave to file a late notice of claim. Case: Matter of Polak v. MTA Long Island Railroad, Nos. 2022-00039…

A New York appellate court ruled that the owners of a private residence and their architect were entitled to summary judgment dismissing the Labor Law and negligence claims against them…

A New York appellate court ruled that an injury compensation fund was entitled to reimbursement from an insurance carrier of a motorist who caused an accident. Case: In the Matter of State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance…

A New York appellate court upheld a grant of summary judgment for the defendants in a Labor Law case. Case: Acevedo-Espinosa v. RH 250 Sherman Avenue LLC, No. 2023-01248, 09/11/2024, published. Facts:…

A New York appellate court ruled that a worker was not entitled to summary judgment on his Labor Law claims for an alleged fall from a ladder. Case: Injai v. Circle F…

A New York appellate court ruled that an injured worker could not obtain relief from an adverse grant of summary judgment. Case: Benegas v. Ardsley Country Club Inc., Nos. 2020-04106 and…

A New York appellate court upheld a finding that a worker was entitled to benefits for his injuries from being struck by two motorized bicycles after he left a happy…

A New York appellate court upheld a grant of summary judgment in a Labor Law claim by a worker injured by a falling tree. Case: Ells v. City of Niagara Falls, No. 644…

A New York appellate court upheld an award of benefits for a worker even though he was heavily intoxicated when he fell from a ladder. Case: Matter of Lujan-Espinzo v. Electrical Illuminations by…

The Nevada Division of Industrial Relations announced an increase in the interest rate to calculate permanent partial disability lump-sum settlements. The division said the interest rate will increase to 4.36% from…

The Nevada Workers’ Compensation Section reported that maximum monthly benefits increased by 10.4% on Monday. The maximum benefit increased to $5,630.43 for the fiscal year that runs through June 30, 2025,…

The New Mexico Workers’ Compensation Administration announced that an advisory committee seeks comments on two independent medical examiner applicants. The IME Provider Selection Committee is considering authorizing Drs. Alan Altman and…

The New Jersey Superior Court’s Appellate Division ruled that a worker was entitled to benefits for his injuries from falling while taking a dip in a hotel pool. Case: Terhune v.

The U.S. Department of Labor announced a $13,500 settlement with a New Jersey contractor it says could have prevented a fatal fall. The department said a 39-year-old worker fell five stories…

The Appellate Division of New Jersey’s Superior Court affirmed a trial court’s decision granting summary judgment that dismisses an intentional harm case, saying the injured worker failed to clear the high…

The New Hampshire Supreme Court ruled that a group of injured police officers were obligated to repay the sick leave benefits they received while awaiting a determination of their eligibility…

The Delaware Supreme Court upheld a denial of benefits to a poultry plant worker for his occupational disease claim based on a COVID-19 infection. Case: Fowler v. Perdue Inc., No. 412, 2023,…

Delaware Gov. John Carney signed a bill allowing the insurance commissioner to adopt criteria for employers to qualify for a workplace safety program that aims to provide lower workers’ compensation…

More Delaware employers will be able to participate in the state’s Workplace Safety Program and earn premium discounts, under a new law. Senate Bill 306, enacted by Gov. John Carney in…

The Nebraska Court of Appeals upheld a finding of compensability for a worker’s knee injury, but overturned the award of permanent total disability benefits as unsupported by adequate factual findings. Case:…

The Nebraska Court of Appeals upheld an award of benefits to an assembly line worker for her neck and finger injuries. Case: Mendoza v. Honeywell American Meter Co., No. 23-807, 05/28/2024,…

The Hawaii Supreme Court ruled that the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations cannot reject an appeal as untimely based on its “sent” date for a decision without direct evidence that…

Squaring numbers can have surprising consequences

Until now computers have failed to solve mathematical problems. But the AI program AlphaGeometry has succeeded in finding proofs for dozens of theorems from the International Mathematical Olympiad

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 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 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…

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 posted a bulletin announcing the annual increase in retroactive program benefits and the processes for calculating benefits owed to injured workers. The retroactive program supplements benefits…

We use iNaturalist data to help find the sandhills cellophane bee. Researchers are looking for nesting sites for the rare bee.

At the Ryan-Harley site, archeologists reconstruct the ice age landscape of the Wacissa River, where early Floridians left artifacts.

The Indiana Court of Appeals upheld a denial of benefits for a university employee with significant preexisting health problems for her alleged injuries from walking to her workplace. Case: Ostrowski v.

A federal appellate court revived an injured worker’s suit against a crane contractor, finding there were triable questions as to whether the crane operator allegedly responsible for his injuries was…

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…

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 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 Appellate Court ruled that a worker was entitled to permanent total disability benefits for the loss of use of the eyes, plus additional permanent partial disability benefits 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…

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 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…

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…

The Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania rejected an injured police officer’s constitutional challenges to the state’s new impairment rating evaluation scheme. Case: Powell v. City of Philadelphia (WCAB), No.  406 C.D. 2023,…