The Kentucky Supreme Court upheld an award of benefits for a worker for a back injury with psychological overlay. Case: Laboratory Corporation of America v. Smith, No. 2023-SC-0479-WC, 08/22/2024, published. Facts: Hunter…

The Kentucky Court of Appeals upheld the compensability of a former news reporter’s self-developed treatments for a decades-old back injury. Case: Paxton Media Group v. Hammond, No. 2023-CA-0807-WC, 08/30/2024, unpublished. Facts and…

The Kentucky Court of Appeals remanded a worker’s claim for permanent total disability benefits to an administrative law judge for the fourth time because of deficiencies in the causation analysis. Case:…

The Kentucky Department of Insurance approved an 8.4% average loss cost reduction for policies incepting in 2025. The department said this is the 19th consecutive rate decrease. Kentucky Insurance Commissioner Sharon…

The Kentucky Supreme Court ruled that a traveling worker was entitled to benefits for her injuries from a fall while leaving her hotel to go souvenir shopping. Kimminee Costello worked for…

A divided South Dakota Supreme Court ruled that a worker was entitled to permanent total disability benefits for his electric shock injuries, finding he developed both a cardiac condition and…

The Montana Workers’ Compensation Court ruled that the Department of Labor & Industry needed to make a finding as to the reasonableness of a worker’s refusal to attend a therapy…

The Montana Department of Labor & Industry announced that the maximum weekly compensation rate will increase by 4.84% for the fiscal year starting July 1. “For injuries occurring on or after July…

The Montana Workers’ Compensation Court granted summary judgment denying a worker’s request for additional temporary total disability benefits because he failed to offer objective medical findings of his alleged chronic headaches. Case:…

A Florida appellate court overturned a judge’s decision denying an employer’s motion for costs as a prevailing party on a worker’s claim. Frances Smith worked for the Palm Beach County School…

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill allowing police and firefighters with injuries that are presumed to be compensable to select a doctor and increasing the provider’s reimbursement to twice…

A police officer in Clearwater, Florida, was arrested after investigators allegedly observed him engaging in activities that contradicted the limitations he cited when seeking workers’ compensation benefits and a disability…

A Florida appellate court overturned a judge’s determination that an employer was not entitled to recover the full amount of its lien against an injured worker's third-party settlement. Regina Akins suffered…

The Florida Division of Workers’ Compensation posted a notice of development of rulemaking to implement the most recent edition of its health care provider fee schedule and related documents. The DWC…

A federal appellate court upheld a defendant’s conviction for a long-running and lucrative kickback scheme but overturned the restitution order that had been imposed. Case: U.S. v. Young, Nos. 20-13091 and…

The National Council on Compensation Insurance recommended that the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation reduce workers’ compensation rates by an average of 1%, effective Jan. 1. NCCI said in a summary…

Florida's Chief Financial Officer is asking the state's 1st District Court of Appeal to revisit its definition of heart disease under a 2023 decision dealing with presumptive claims by first…

An Arizona appellate court upheld a determination that a worker was entitled to additional treatment as he had not reached a medically stationary state. Case: Tenet Health System Medical v. Industrial…

Arizona lawmakers on Wednesday passed an amended bill requiring instead of allowing the use of the drug commonly known as ecstasy to treat first responders with post-traumatic stress disorder. The state House…

The Arizona Court of Appeals upheld the denial of a worker’s request to reopen his claim arising out of a car accident. Case: Parr v. Industrial Commission, No. 1 CA-IC 23-0018,…

The Arizona Court of Appeals upheld the denial of a worker’s request for a hearing as untimely despite his claim that he had never received notice that his employer’s insurance carrier…

The Arizona Court of Appeals ruled that an administrative law judge committed an abuse of discretion in denying a worker’s request for relief from the dismissal of her hearing due…

The Arizona Court of Appeals ruled that a worker’s request for hearing was properly dismissed, given her failure to adhere to deadlines and failure to participate in discovery and a…

A Louisiana appellate court ruled that a worker injured while participating in a jousting demonstration was exempt from coverage under the state Workers’ Compensation Act as a “performer.” Case: McKeane v.

Louisiana lawmakers passed a bill that would establish notice requirements for carriers to seek additional premium payments from employers that misclassified their workers and limit how much insurers can recover. Rep.

A Louisiana appellate court upheld an award of benefits for a worker with carpal tunnel syndrome and ruled that his employer was not entitled to an offset against its liability. Case: Caldwell…

A Louisiana appellate court overturned a judge’s decision approving a worker’s change of physician but upheld the denial of the employer’s request for a forfeiture of benefits. Case: Southern v. Servpro…

A Louisiana appellate court overturned a finding that a worker’s stiff person syndrome was not related to her work accident, and a finding that she was capable of engaging in gainful employment…

A Louisiana appellate court ruled that res judicata did not bar a school district employee’s intentional tort claim against a colleague even though she received a workers’ compensation settlement for her…

The Louisiana Supreme Court declined to hear the appeal of a decision finding that a man injured while jousting was excluded from the state's workers' compensation system. On Tuesday, a 6-1…

A Louisiana appellate court ruled that an injured firefighter’s benefits were wrongly reduced and that he was entitled to full reinstatement, plus an award of penalties and attorney fees. Case: Prevost…

The Louisiana Supreme Court ruled that an injured worker lost his ability to pursue a civil suit he had filed under a false name and an illegally obtained identity. Rafael Antonio…

The South Carolina Supreme Court reinstated an award of permanent total disability benefits for a worker who lost the use of his back, despite the low impairment ratings he had received. Case: Paulino…

The South Carolina Court of Appeals upheld an award of permanent partial disability benefits to an injured deputy sheriff. Case: Crowley v. Darlington County, No. 2022-000282, 06/26/2024, unpublished. Facts: Michael Crowley worked…

The South Carolina Court of Appeals ruled that an injured nurse was entitled to benefits for a closed period and that the Workers’ Compensation Commission erred in calculating her average weekly wage. Rachel…

The South Carolina Supreme Court upheld a finding that a worker was entitled to benefits for a back injury, but it questioned the continued viability of its case law allowing…

The South Carolina Court of Appeals upheld the denial of benefits to a worker who was injured when she ignored her employer’s instruction to not use a ladder. Case: Bridges v.

The South Carolina Supreme Court seized an opportunity to clarify the statutory review process for workers' compensation cases in addressing an injured correctional officer’s long-pending claim. Gena Cain Davis worked as…

The South Carolina Court of Appeals overturned a grant of summary judgment dismissing a lawsuit against an employer and its in-house nurses, alleging that they failed to provide adequate treatment to a…

The South Carolina Workers’ Compensation Commission announced that Avery B. Wilkerson Jr. will retire, effective Sept. 15. Avery B. Wilkerson Jr. Wilkerson has served as a commissioner since June 2008 when…

The South Carolina Supreme Court reissued its decision upholding an injured worker’s award but questioned the continued viability of its case law allowing an employer to base its defense on a…

The Kansas Court of Appeals upheld a decision of the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board denying a government employee’s request for a modification of her award. Case: Jackson v. Johnson County, No.

The Kansas Court of Appeals rejected a widower’s constitutional challenges to the lack of a jury trial in workers’ compensation matters and the statutory cap on the benefits payable for…

A federal appellate court upheld a jury verdict finding an employer had not discriminated against an injured employee. Case: Donahue v. United Parcel Service, Nos. 22-3132 and 22-3142, 08/12/2024, published. Facts: William…

The Kansas Court of Appeals ruled that an injured worker failed to prove that his employer’s payroll met the statutory threshold for coverage under the state Workers Compensation Act. Case: Romero v.

The Kansas Supreme Court upheld a determination that the state Workers Compensation Fund was liable for paying the continuing treatment expenses for a worker who had accepted a job out…

An increase in average temporary disability duration drove a nearly 10% increase in average indemnity benefits per claim in Wisconsin in 2022, according to a recent study from the Workers…

Research Highlights: Treating gum disease within three months after a heart procedure to correct an irregular heart rhythm, known as atrial fibrillation (AFib), may lower the chances of it reoccurring. Inflamed gums may predict AFib recurrence after...

Statement Highlights: Patient-centered care establishes a respectful partnership among the health care team, the patient and caregivers to make shared decisions about management tailored to the patients’ beliefs, preferences and...

Research Highlights: Middle-aged Black women with better heart health were less likely to show a decline in mental function compared with middle-aged Black women with worse heart health. In this study, heart health was unrelated to cognitive decline...