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…

Hawaii’s Intermediate Court of Appeals upheld an award of permanent partial disability benefits for a worker’s knee injuries. Case: Noborikawa v. Host International Inc., No. CAAP-20-0000172, 09/20/2024, unpublished. Facts: Carrie N. Noborikawa…

One safe, five sons and betrayal: this principle shows how shared knowledge can protect secrets—without having to trust anyone

Squaring numbers can have surprising consequences

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

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

In the 1970s mathematicians found a simple way to create all numbers, from the infinitely small to infinitely large

A simple solution to gerrymandering crumbles when confronted with math’s ‘ham sandwich theorem’

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 Workers’ Compensation Division reported that covered employment and the number of accepted disabling claims increased in 2022, resulting in the claims rate per 100 workers remaining the same as…

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 Court of Appeals ruled that an insurer was obligated to modify its notice of acceptance upon receipt of a report that clearly identified a meniscus tear caused by…

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…

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…

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

The Bluffs of St. Teresa: hike to an overlook on the Ochlockonee River in this linchpin of the Florida Wildlife Corridor.

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’s highest court overturned a finding that an injured worker was not an employee within the meaning of the Workers’ Compensation Act. Case: Sanchez Lopez v. DOES, No. 22-AA-0765,…

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…

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 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:…

A federal appellate court upheld the summary dismissal of a worker’s claim of retaliation for pursuing workers’ compensation benefits. Paula Emerson began working for the Cook County Sheriff’s Office in 2008.

The Illinois Chamber of Commerce and Illinois Self Insurers’ Association opened registration for their Workers’ Compensation and Safety Conference scheduled for Oct. 9 in Lisle. The conference will feature a case law…

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…

A federal appellate court ruled that a worker’s claim that his employer’s health plan administrator violated Illinois law was preempted by federal law. Case: Carnes v. HMO Louisiana Inc., No. 4:22-cv-04179,…

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,…

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court will decide whether general contractors can be denied statutory employer status if they have not paid benefits to a subcontractor’s injured employee and whether the statutory employer defense is…

A Pennsylvania appellate court on Monday ordered a workers’ compensation judge to determine whether an employer should be penalized for failing to reimburse an injured worker for medical cannabis. The Commonwealth…

The Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania upheld the denial of a worker’s claim for benefits based on his industrial lead exposure. Case: Mercer v. Active Radiator MPN Inc., No. 1326 C.D. 2023,…

The Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania upheld an administrative decision finding that an employer could not join another entity and its insurance carrier as liable parties for a worker’s fatal accident. Case:…

The Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania ruled that Amazon.com was not entitled to join an injured employee’s prior employer as a defendant in her claim and that she was entitled to…

The Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania rejected an injured municipal employee’s constitutional challenges to the state's new impairment rating process. Case: Epps v. City of Philadelphia (WCAB), No. 835 C.D. 2023, 07/08/2024,…

The Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania ruled that an injured worker was precluded from trying to challenge the validity of his settlement agreements with his employer. Case: May v. Dana Corp., No.

The Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania ruled that an injured firefighter was not entitled to reinstatement of his benefits. Case: Marinack v. City of Pittsburgh (WCAB), City of Pittsburgh v. Marinack (WCAB),…

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court split on whether a physician should be limited to assigning an impairment rating only for accepted work-related injuries, but it doesn't change a decision allowing the doctor to consider…

The Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania ruled that a worker was not entitled to set aside the workers’ compensation settlement she reached with her employer. Case: Clarius v. Rite Aid Corp. (WCAB),…

The Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania rejected a worker’s constitutional challenges to the state's new impairment rating evaluation process. Douglas Bellamy worked for the City of Philadelphia. He suffered injuries in a…