on ATF Medical Names Katherine Nelson VP of National Sales By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Tue, 21 May 2024 00:00:00 -0700 ATF Medical appointed Katherine Nelson to serve as vice president of sales. Katherine Nelson Nelson will be based in Las Vegas and oversee the company’s efforts to market mobility and accessibility… Full Article
on DOL Updates Hazard Communication Standard By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Wed, 22 May 2024 00:00:00 -0700 The U.S. Department of Labor on Tuesday said it adopted a new rule updating its hazard communication standard that takes effect July 19. The revised rule requires labels on small packages… Full Article
on Rating Bureau, Comp Commission Ready New Websites By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Thu, 23 May 2024 00:00:00 -0700 California’s Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau and the Oklahoma Workers’ Compensation Commission on Wednesday announced plans to launch new websites. The Oklahoma Workers’ Compensation Commission announced that it will unveil its… Full Article
on OccMD Names Cheryl Killion Director of Nurse Case Management By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Wed, 29 May 2024 00:00:00 -0700 Medical management firm OccMD on Tuesday announced the appointment of Cheryl Killion as the new director of nurse case management effective June 1. Killion has served as a senior nurse case… Full Article
on Federal Court Says it Lacks Jurisdiction Over Petition Filed Day Too Late By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Wed, 29 May 2024 00:00:00 -0700 A federal appellate court ruled that it had no jurisdiction over a petition for review of a denial of survivor’s benefits under the Black Lung Benefits Act filed one day… Full Article
on AppliedVR Names Michael Marsau Executive Director, Workers' Compensation By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Thu, 20 Jun 2024 00:00:00 -0700 AppliedVR appointed Michael Marsau as its executive director of workers’ compensation. Michael Marsau Marsau is overseeing the launch of the company’s flagship RelieVRx prescription therapeutic into the workers’ compensation market, the… Full Article
on Court Upholds Worker's Convictions for Embezzlement, Workers' Compensation Fraud By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Mon, 01 Jul 2024 00:00:00 -0700 A federal appellate court upheld a worker’s convictions and sentence to embezzlement and workers’ compensation fraud. Case: U.S. v. Holmes, No. 23-4700, 06/21/2024, unpublished. Facts and procedural history: Federal prosecutors in South… Full Article
on Court Overturns Black Lung Award, Clarifies Burden of Proof for Legal Pneumoconiosis Claims By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Mon, 08 Jul 2024 00:00:00 -0700 A divided federal appellate court overturned an award of black lung benefits to a coal miner based on an administrative law judge’s misapplication of the burden of proof for a legal… Full Article
on DOL Session to Discuss Benefits for Nuclear Weapons Workers By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Tue, 09 Jul 2024 00:00:00 -0700 The U.S. Department of Labor will host an informational session in Lisle, Illinois, to discuss benefits available under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Act. The program provides lump-sum payments and… Full Article
on Bill Would Allow Treatment by Physician Assistants, Nurse Practitioners By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Tue, 09 Jul 2024 00:00:00 -0700 Physician assistants and nurse practitioners would be authorized to treat injured federal workers under a bill being debated in the U.S. House of Representatives. HR 618, by Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Mich., would add… Full Article
on Senate Committee Report Says Amazon Injury Rate Spikes for Prime Day, Holidays By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Wed, 17 Jul 2024 00:00:00 -0700 Amazon warehouses are particularly unsafe during Prime Day and the holiday season because the company disregards safety protocols so workers can keep up with the high volume of orders, according… Full Article
on Comp Agencies Report Disruptions From Tech Outage By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Mon, 22 Jul 2024 00:00:00 -0700 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,… Full Article
on DOL Says Injunction Protects Against Retaliation By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Tue, 23 Jul 2024 00:00:00 -0700 The U.S. Department of Labor said a federal court in Washington state issued an injunction preventing the U.S. Postal Service from retaliation against employees. The department said the injunction was part… Full Article
on Railway Worker Loses Challenge to Dismissal of Retaliation Claim By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Tue, 23 Jul 2024 00:00:00 -0700 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… Full Article
on DOL Seeks Nominations for Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Mon, 29 Jul 2024 00:00:00 -0700 The U.S. Department of Labor is seeking nominations for four positions on the National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health. The department said it is seeking one public representative, one… Full Article
on DOL: Maersk Agrees to Stop Retaliating Against Workers Who Report Safety Concerns By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Wed, 31 Jul 2024 00:00:00 -0700 Shipping giant Maersk Line Ltd. agreed to end a policy requiring workers to notify the company of any safety concerns before contacting the Coast Guard, the U.S. Department of Labor announced. Maersk… Full Article
on OWCP Sets New Provider Orientation By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Wed, 14 Aug 2024 00:00:00 -0700 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… Full Article
on Court Finds Eye Doctor Illegally Fired Worker Who Reported COVID Violations By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Tue, 20 Aug 2024 00:00:00 -0700 The U.S. Department of Labor announced that the federal court for the Northern District of New York found that an ophthalmologist and his practice illegally fired a worker who complained… Full Article
on Federal Court Creates Circuit Split on Liability for Black Lung Benefits By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Thu, 22 Aug 2024 00:00:00 -0700 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… Full Article
on Group Sets Date for Medical, Comp Fraud Conference By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Fri, 23 Aug 2024 00:00:00 -0700 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… Full Article
on Federal Court Rejects Employer's Petition for Review of Black Lung Award to Widow By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Wed, 28 Aug 2024 00:00:00 -0700 A federal appellate court rejected an employer’s petition for review of black lung benefits to a miner’s widow. Case: Harman Mining Corp. v. Bartley, No. 22-2283, 08/20/2024, unpublished. Facts: Jerry W. Bartley… Full Article
on CMS Holding Webinar on Reporting Rules By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Thu, 29 Aug 2024 00:00:00 -0700 The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is holding a reporting webinar Sept. 12. The program will cover best practices and reminders for non-group health plans that are required to… Full Article
on Safety Inspectors Cite Employers for Silica Violations By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Fri, 30 Aug 2024 00:00:00 -0700 Workplace safety regulators in California and Washington state proposed nearly $500,000 in penalties for 10 employers accused of exposing workers to crystalline silica dust. The California Division of Occupational Safety and… Full Article
on IAIABC Opens Registration for Work Comp Judicial Program By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Fri, 30 Aug 2024 00:00:00 -0700 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’… Full Article
on Attune Launches EverPeak Insurance on Digital Platform By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Thu, 12 Sep 2024 00:00:00 -0700 Attune Insurance launched a new workers’ compensation solution, EverPeak Insurance, and started providing coverage to businesses in Arizona and South Carolina. Attune said the work comp product caters to small businesses… Full Article
on DOL Orders Compensation for Workers Fired Over Safety Concerns, Misclassified as Contractors By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Tue, 17 Sep 2024 00:00:00 -0700 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… Full Article
on CompIQ, Bardavon Launch Automated Referral Process By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Wed, 18 Sep 2024 00:00:00 -0700 CompIQ Solutions and Bardavon announced a partnership to create an automated referral process for injured workers who need specialized care. The companies said they were integrating CompIQ’s IQSymphony claims portal with… Full Article
on WCRI Opens Registration for 2025 Conference By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Wed, 25 Sep 2024 00:00:00 -0700 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… Full Article
on Senate Committee Passes Bill to Increase Provider Options for Federal Workers By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Mon, 30 Sep 2024 00:00:00 -0700 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… Full Article
on 9th Circuit Establishes LHWCA Compensation for Hearing Loss, Tinnitus By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Tue, 15 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0700 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… Full Article
on Rail Company Owes $453,510 to Workers Fired Over Safety Concerns By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Tue, 15 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0700 A federal judge ordered CSX Transportation Inc. to pay $453,510 to two railroad workers who were fired after raising workplace safety concerns in 2017. The judge also ordered the company to… Full Article
on NCCI: Temperature, Precipitation Linked to Frequency By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Fri, 18 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0700 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%… Full Article
on NCCI: Medical Inflation Softens in 3rd Quarter By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Wed, 23 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0700 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… Full Article
on Supreme Court Overturns Finding of No Liability for Second Injury Fund By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Tue, 14 May 2024 00:00:00 -0700 The Iowa Supreme Court overturned a finding that the Second Injury Fund was not liable for a worker’s permanent total disability after she suffered two different leg injuries. Case: Delaney v. Full Article
on Carrier Not Contributing Assessments to Trust Fund Can Still Get Reimbursements By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Mon, 15 Jul 2024 00:00:00 -0700 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… Full Article
on Contractor Fined for Safety Violations That Caused Worker's Death By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Tue, 22 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0700 Federal workplace safety investigators fined a Massachusetts waterproofing contractor $283,115 for safety violations they say led to a worker's death. Gerceir Osvaldo DeFaria, 51, was killed in February 2024 when part… Full Article
on Statute of Limitations Ends Inquiry Into Senator's Comp Claim By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Mon, 15 Jul 2024 00:00:00 -0700 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… Full Article
on Senators Float Classifying Substance Abuse as Occupational Hazard By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Tue, 03 Sep 2024 00:00:00 -0700 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… Full Article
on WCC Commissioner Marshall Elected Chairman By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Fri, 05 Jul 2024 00:00:00 -0700 The Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission announced that Wesley G. Marshall was elected to a three-year term as chairman, effective Monday. Wesley G. Marshall Marshall succeeds Commissioner Robert A. Rapaport, whose term… Full Article
on WCC Opens Registration for 2024 Conference By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Fri, 12 Jul 2024 00:00:00 -0700 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. Full Article
on Firefighter's Aortic Aneurysm Constitutes Presumptively Compensable Heart Disease By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Tue, 16 Jul 2024 00:00:00 -0700 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… Full Article
on Injured Flight Paramedic Fails to Prove Entitlement to Additional Awards By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Thu, 18 Jul 2024 00:00:00 -0700 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.,… Full Article
on Independent Contractor Can't Get Benefits for Injuries By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Mon, 12 Aug 2024 00:00:00 -0700 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… Full Article
on Employer Can't Relitigate Reasonableness of Worker's Mileage for Treatment By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Fri, 23 Aug 2024 00:00:00 -0700 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… Full Article
on Court Overturns Award for Second of Identical Injuries By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Wed, 18 Sep 2024 00:00:00 -0700 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… Full Article
on Supreme Court Establishes Method for Apportioning Preexisting Impairment By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Wed, 12 Jun 2024 00:00:00 -0700 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,… Full Article
on Supreme Court Upholds Award for Janitor Infected With Legionnaires' Disease By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Thu, 13 Jun 2024 00:00:00 -0700 The West Virginia Supreme Court upheld an award of benefits for a janitor who contracted Legionnaires’ disease. Case: Scottish Rite Bodies of Charleston v. Weese, No. 22-0427, 06/10/2024, published. Facts: Thomas W. Weese worked… Full Article
on Coal Miner Gets Increased Award Despite Improved Condition After Lung Transplant By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Fri, 14 Jun 2024 00:00:00 -0700 The West Virginia Supreme Court ruled that a former coal miner was entitled to an increased impairment award for the worsening of his occupational pneumoconiosis, even though he had undergone… Full Article
on Worker Fails to Establish Causal Connection Between Injury, Need for Nerve Block Treatments By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Thu, 01 Aug 2024 00:00:00 -0700 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:… Full Article
on Board Applies Wrong Compensability Standard to Asbestos Claim By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Fri, 02 Aug 2024 00:00:00 -0700 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… Full Article
