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…

The Texas Division of Workers’ Compensation announced that any interest or discount rates used in the third fiscal quarter must be 8.57%, up from the 8.55% rate used for the…

The Texas Division of Workers’ Compensation announced the adoption of new and revised rules governing dispute resolutions, settlements and commutations. The DWC said it eliminated regulatory references to penalties for certain…

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 Division of Workers’ Compensation posted an online survey seeking input on legislative recommendations to include in the upcoming 2024 biennial report to the state Legislature. The division said it…

The Texas Division of Workers’ Compensation seeks public comments on draft rules that would allow doctors to use telemedicine to perform maximum medical improvement examinations. “For example, when a treating doctor treats…

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…

The Texas Division of Workers’ Compensation is holding a webinar Wednesday to cover how to complete wage statements. The division said the training will focus on DWC Form-003 and DWC Form-003SD.

The Insurance Council of Texas is holding a webinar Aug. 12 that will cover the use of social media when resolving workers’ compensation claims. Marci Reading, vice president of business development…

The Texas Division of Workers’ Compensation posted for public comment a copy of the proposed 2025 agenda for its Workers’ Compensation Research and Evaluation Group. The group is proposing three projects…

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…

The National Council on Compensation Insurance filed a proposed Texas-specific experience rating plan. NCCI said the new edition of its Experience Rating Plan Manual for Workers’ Compensation and Employers Liability Insurance…

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…

The Texas Division of Workers’ Compensation is accepting comments on a proposal to correct a duplicate regulatory section title. The DWC is proposing to rename Texas Administrative Code Section 147.10 “Commutation…

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…

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 posted its audit plan for the fiscal year ending in 2025. The DWC said 2025 audits will focus on timely and accurate benefit payments, timely…

The Texas Division of Workers’ Compensation announced that the discount interest rate will drop by more than a full percentage point during the final fiscal quarter. The division said any interest…

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…

The Texas Division of Workers' Compensation on Wednesday announced that it adopted the 2025 agenda for its Workers' Compensation Research and Evaluation Group. The research group will study the feasibility and…

Federal workplace safety regulators fined a Texas manufacturer and designer of school furniture, saying the company could have prevented an injury by installing machine guards. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration…

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 Texas Division of Workers’ Compensation is accepting comments on the 2025 Medical Quality Review Annual Audit Plan through Nov. 22. The annual plan establishes priorities for the Medical Quality Review…

The Alaska Supreme Court ruled that employment based on friendship does not automatically fall outside the scope of the state workers’ compensation law. Samuel Amos, David Tidwell and Travis Plambeck all…

The Alaska Workers’ Compensation Board is accepting comments on its proposed 2025 Medical Fee Schedule. The board said system users can submit written comments on the proposed changes through Oct. 9…

The U.S. Department of Labor announced that it settled with a Mississippi poultry facility, requiring the company to pay $164,814 in fines and implement enhanced safety measures to protect workers from…

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 Appellate Court of Maryland overturned an $8.7 million jury verdict in favor of an injured worker against the owner of a vessel that also happened to be his employer. Case: Corman Marine…

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 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 announced that a woman who ran an adult family home while claiming she was too injured to work is facing a felony…

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…

A trial court erred when it granted a motion in limine to preclude an injured worker from presenting to a jury the question of eligibility for a permanent partial disability…

The Washington Court of Appeals held that a law prohibiting injured workers from posting to social media recordings of their independent medical examinations is an unconstitutional prior restraint on free…

The Washington State Department of Labor and Industries said a Seattle construction company is facing $155,300 in fines for knowingly putting workers at serious risk of injury or death by…

The Washington Court of Appeals overturned a jury verdict finding that a flight attendant was entitled to benefits for her COVID-19 infection, since the jury had been erroneously instructed on…