The Minnesota Supreme Court ruled that an injured employee’s right to assert a direct claim for unpaid medical expenses is not precluded by a medical provider’s failure to intervene in…

The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry is hiring an attorney to represent the Special Compensation Fund in workers’ compensation proceedings. The attorney will also provide legal advice to department staff…

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…

The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry opened registration for a mandatory rehabilitation provider update webinar being held Sept. 13. The webinar will cover topics including a department update, legislative and rule…

The Minnesota Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited trucking Wayne Transports Inc. after a worker died in a confined space. Justin Erickson, 39, was found dead in the tank of a tanker…

The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry announced that it will open registration Monday for its one-day Workers’ Compensation Summit set for Oct. 29. Session topics will include a legislative update…

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…

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…

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis enacted a bill that will increase the cap on combined temporary disability and permanent partial disability benefits by 100% or more. Rep. Lindsey Daugherty, D-Arvada Polis on…

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 Workers' Compensation Research and Evaluation Group released a new report on access to care in the Lone Star State's workers' compensation system between 2017 and 2022. This report measures the availability…

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 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…

The Texas Division of Workers’ Compensation seeks public comment on changes to a trio of report forms. The division said it has updated the following forms to conform to the agency’s standards,…

A Texas appellate court ruled that a temporary employment provider’s employee could not pursue a civil remedy against his employer’s client for an on-the-job injury. Case: Waeli v. BWFS Industries LLC,…

A Texas appellate court revived an injured school district employee’s challenge to an administrative law judge’s determination that she was barred from pursuing compensation for some alleged conditions and dates…

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…

A Texas appellate court ruled that a worker’s death in a motorcycle accident while retrieving his company-issued laptop from home was not compensable. Michael Evans was a safety consultant for Xcel…

The Texas Department of Insurance said it closed seven Division of Workers’ Compensation field offices along the Gulf Coast in response to Hurricane Beryl. The department said it closed both field…

The Texas Department of Insurance on Tuesday announced that the former co-owner of Bill Hall Jr. Trucking was sentenced to 10 years of deferred adjudication and ordered to pay restitution…

A Texas appellate court rejected a worker’s constitutional challenge to the 90-day deadline for contesting a previously assessed maximum medical improvement date. Case: Engel v. Texas Department of Insurance, No, 03-23-00077-CV, 07/17/2024,…

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,…

The Texas Division of Workers’ Compensation is accepting comments on three sections of the Texas Administrative Code as part of a periodic review of its rules and regulations. The division is…

A federal appellate court ruled that a worker’s Jones Act claims should be sent back to a Texas state court. Shanon Roy Santee worked as a remote-operated vehicle technician in the…

A Texas appellate court ruled that a trial court lacked subject matter jurisdiction over a worker’s negligence claims against a colleague and his employer arising from a motor vehicle accident. Case: In…

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…

The Texas Division of Workers’ Compensation announced that it will hold a series of “brown bag” meetings in September and October to discuss the latest updates in dispute resolution. Agenda topics…

The Texas Division of Workers’ Compensation opened registration for its Workers’ Compensation Conference being held virtually in October. The conference will feature sessions covering topics that include artificial intelligence, average weekly…

The Texas Division of Workers’ Compensation proposed rules to ensure that the agency is notified of an employee’s death before the Subsequent Injury Fund issues a lifetime income benefit payment. The…

The Texas Division of Workers’ Compensation announced regulatory action to update employer forms and change the title of a rule. The division said it revised employer notice forms to conform to…

The Texas Division of Workers’ Compensation is hosting a free webinar Nov. 7 to cover how to become a treating doctor. The program will teach attendees the requirements to become a…

All but four of the 130 insurance carriers that the Texas Division of Workers' Compensation evaluated through its performance-based oversight assessment scored average or better. The division on Thursday reported that…

A Texas appellate court denied an injured worker's petition for mandamus relief of a trial judge’s order compelling him to arbitrate a negligence claim against his nonsubscribing employer. Adrian Murillo worked…

The Alaska Court of Appeals upheld the restitution order against a convicted workers’ compensation fraudster. Scott Abraham Groom was convicted of taking more than $10,000 in state funds by “false or fraudulent pretense,…

Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy signed a bill increasing the cap on payments for reemployment plans by 66.5%. Alaska law allows injured workers who are not able to return to employment after…

A federal appellate court ruled that an insurance carrier could not void a policy based on an employer’s misrepresentation, nor could it maintain a breach-of-contract claim against a marketing agent for failing to…

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…

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.

The Maryland Appellate Court overturned an award of benefits to a financial adviser for his alleged occupational disease from mold exposure. Case: In the Matter of Morgan Stanley and Co. Inc.,…

The Maryland Appellate Court upheld the denial of a worker’s claim of occupational disease and accidental injury from his alleged chemical exposure. Robert Butler worked as a driver for Velocity Rail…

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…

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 U.S. Department of Energy picked a new company to administer workers’ compensation claims from the Hanford nuclear storage facility in Washington state, according to a report by the Tri-City…

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 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 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 fined the state wildlife department $200,400 for two incidents that killed one worker and hospitalized another. Mary Valentine, a 48-year-old Department of Fish…