EDITOR’S NOTE: The New York State Workers Compensation Board said Friday afternoon that the majority of online services should now be restored. “Users may still experience lingering issues with some applications,”…

The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed an employer’s challenge to a decision of the Benefits Review Board remanding a worker’s motion to modify his partial disability award under…

The software update that grounded airplanes and disrupted hospitals worldwide Friday also wreaked havoc on workers’ compensation regulators in some states. Officials from Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Kansas, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York,…

The U.S. 8th Circuit Court of Appeals denied review of a railway worker’s challenge to the dismissal of his claim he had been terminated in retaliation for his successful pursuit…

A federal appellate court ruled that the former attorney for a claimant seeking benefits under the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act could not seek an award of fees after…

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…

The federal Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs is holding a basic orientation course Aug. 21 for providers recently authorized to render medical treatment and evaluations for injured federal workers. The program will…

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…

The National Insurance Crime Bureau has set its Workers’ Compensation and Medical Investigations Conference for Oct. 1-4 in Chicago. The event's goal is to provide training and networking for insurance professionals, including…

A federal appellate court upheld the denial of a coal miner’s third claim for black lung benefits. Case: Hitt v. OWCP, No. 23-1916, 08/15/2024, unpublished. Facts: Robert Hitt worked in the coal…

The International Association of Industrial Accident Boards and Commissions opened registration for its 2024 Judicial Program being held Oct. 29-30. The program, presented by IAIABC with the National Association on Workers’…

The National Council on Compensation Insurance said its analysis of impairment ratings in 33 states plus the District of Columbia found that the average whole-body impairment rating for permanently disabled…

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. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals denied an employer’s challenge to an award of black lung benefits to a longtime coal mine employee. Case: Consol of Kentucky Inc. v. Adams,…

The Workers Compensation Research Institute opened registration for its 2025 annual Issues and Research Conference being held March 6-7 in Phoenix. Ramona Tanabe WCRI said it will present findings from its…

The U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee passed a bill that would authorize physician assistants and nurse practitioners to treat injured federal workers. The committee on Wednesday voted 12-3…

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…

A federal appellate court ruled that an injured longshoreman who has hearing loss in one ear and bilateral tinnitus is properly compensated at the statutory rate. Case: Total Terminals International LLC…

Frequency increases modestly but consistently as temperatures climb, according to a study by the National Council on Compensation Insurance. NCCI said that starting around 50 degrees, there is about a 1%…

The National Council on Compensation Insurance said that after several years of ignoring broader economic patterns, medical inflation in the third quarter followed the softening trend in overall inflation. The softening…

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 Iowa Supreme Court on Friday suspended the license of a Des Moines-area sole practitioner with a long history of discipline involving the mishandling of two workers’ compensation matters. The court…

The Massachusetts Appeals Court ruled that an insurance company that was not contributing any assessments to the Workers’ Compensation Trust Fund was still eligible for reimbursement for benefits paid to…

The Massachusetts Appeals Court upheld the summary dismissal of a worker’s civil suit against his employer and a colleague who had accidentally struck him with a truck while he was…

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…

The Connecticut Division of Criminal Justice said it ended an inquiry into a state senator who allegedly did not disclose that he was working while collecting workers’ compensation benefits, saying…

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 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 Virginia Court of Appeals upheld the denial of a poultry processing plant worker’s claim for injuries from an unexplained fall. Case: Gutierrez v. Perdue Farms Inc., No. 0176-23-2, 05/21/2024, unpublished. Facts:…

The Virginia Court of Appeals upheld the denial of a worker’s claim for an injury from falling as she turned to speak to a colleague. Case: O’Brien v. Northern Virginia Community…

The Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission opened registration for its 2024 Education Conference and Exhibition in October. The conference provides instruction on rules, procedures, policies and forms used in the state’s comp system.

The Virginia Court of Appeals upheld a determination that a firefighter with an aortic aneurysm had presumptively occupational heart disease. Case: Hanover County v. Moore, No. 0715-23-2, 07/09/2024, unpublished. Facts: Scott Moore…

The Virginia Court of Appeals upheld benefit awards of closed periods for an injured paramedic, finding that she failed to prove her entitlement to additional compensation. Case: Martinka v. PHI Group Inc.,…

The Virginia Court of Appeals upheld a denial of benefits to a worker for his injuries from falling from a scaffold, finding he was an independent contractor. Case: Pineda v. Dante…

The Virginia Court of Appeals upheld a finding that a worker suffered an injury to his shoulder when he slipped and fell on a patch of ice. Case: Uninsured Employer’s Fund…

The Virginia Court of Appeals ruled that an employer could not relitigate the reasonableness of a worker’s mileage expenses from traveling to see a chiropractor 78 miles from his home. John Edelblute…

The Virginia Court of Appeals upheld an award of benefits for a worker’s mental health treatment after her on-the-job injury. Case: Virginia Commonwealth University v. Miller, No. 1859-23-2, 08/20/2024, unpublished. Facts: Sabrina…

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 Virginia Court of Appeals overturned an award of benefits to a worker who suffered identical foot injuries 11 years apart. Case: HealthSouth Corp. v. Hawthorne, No. 2058-23-3, 09/03/2024, unpublished. Facts: Pamela…

The West Virginia Intermediate Court of Appeals ruled that a worker was entitled to benefits for his injuries from being struck by a car while attempting to aid a motorist…

The Intermediate Court of Appeals of West Virginia upheld the denial of benefits to a widow, finding she failed to prove that her husband's death was caused by his occupational exposure…

The West Virginia Supreme Court clarified the proper method for apportioning preexisting impairments that have been definitely ascertained and impact multiple body parts. Case: Logan-Mingo Area Mental Health Inc. v. Lester,…

The West Virginia Intermediate Court of Appeals upheld a denial of authorization for nerve block treatments for an injured worker. Case: Cooper v. Lowe’s Home Centers Inc., No. 24-ICA-55, 07/30/2024, unpublished. Facts:…

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…

The West Virginia Intermediate Court of Appeals upheld the denial of additional treatment and temporary total disability benefits for an injured mine worker. Case: Polinski v. Consol Bailey Mine WV, No.

The West Virginia Intermediate Court of Appeals ruled that the Workers’ Compensation Board of Review erred in finding that a worker who lost part of his leg was not entitled…

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 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 overturned an award of permanent partial disability benefits to an injured worker, finding that it was improperly based on the opinion of a doctor who failed…