The New Jersey Superior Court’s Appellate Division ruled that a carrier had no duty to defend an employer against an injured worker’s intentional tort claims. Case: De Tapia v. 74 Industries…

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 Supreme Court of New Hampshire ruled that an employer or insurance carrier that has been denied reimbursement from the Special Fund for Second Injuries is entitled to a hearing before…

The Delaware Superior Court ruled that the attorney for an injured worker was not entitled to demand a fee from a settlement that did not provide a payment to him. Case:…

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,…

A former U.S. Postal Service worker in Delaware was sentenced to three years of probation and ordered to pay nearly $94,000 in restitution for defrauding the federal workers’ compensation program,…

The Delaware Superior Court upheld the denial of coverage for an Amazon employee’s back surgery, finding that his workplace injury did not necessitate the operation. Case: Hoskins v. Amazon.com, No. N23A-06-004…

The Delaware Superior Court overturned a determination that an injured worker failed to exhaust reasonable conservative measures to treat his knee injury before opting for surgery. Case: Baxter v. Verizon Communications,…

The Delaware Department of Labor adopted rules allowing it to post the Workers’ Compensation Oversight Panel’s health care practice guidelines on its website. In May, the department proposed repealing regulations that…

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 Supreme Court ruled that an employer was properly penalized for failing to make an indemnity payment to an injured worker because of a dispute over when and if…

The Nebraska Workers’ Compensation Court activated its web-based data entry application for diagnostic related group reports. The Nebraska Workers’ Compensation Act requires covered hospitals, workers’ compensation insurers, self-insured employers and risk…

The Nebraska Court of Appeals upheld the denial of a worker’s claim because she failed to demonstrate a causal connection between her alleged injuries and her workplace accident. Case: Chavez v. Tyson…

Hawaii’s Intermediate Court of Appeals overturned the denial of a worker’s claim for permanent partial disability benefits, finding that the Labor and Industrial Relations Appeals Board imposed the wrong standard…

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…

Hawaii Employers’ Mutual Insurance Co. announced a $5 million dividend for qualifying policyholders. The carrier said the dividend will be the largest in its history and brings to $53 million the…

Here’s a look at the $1-million math problem at the heart of computation

In 2013 a new user named Cleo took an online math forum by storm with unproved answers. Today she’s an urban legend. But who was she? A 2023 editor's pick. 

The inspection paradox makes sense of social networks, long train wait times and why the call center is always busy 

The bizarre life and legacy of Paul Erdős, the most prolific mathematician ever

Mathematicians cannot determine whether multiplying pi by itself repeatedly might produce a whole number

A new mathematical proof helps show whether a sequence of numbers is “pseudorandom”

Researchers are racing to create codes so complex that even quantum computers can’t break them

Researchers go to great lengths to prove a tiny bias in coin flipping

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 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 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 Court of Appeals clarified when a worker’s spouse falls within an exception to the definition of “beneficiary” because the couple was “living in a state of abandonment” at…

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…

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…

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 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.

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 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.

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:…

Workers’ compensation defense firm Gilson Daub opened a new office in Chicago that it said was part of its expansion efforts in the Midwest. Elizabeth Vicars At the same time, the…

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…