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…

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…

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…

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…

The West Virginia Intermediate Court of Appeals upheld a determination that an injured worker was entitled to additional physical therapy for her leg injury. Case: ACNR Resources Inc. v. Goff, No.

The West Virginia Supreme Court upheld an award of benefits for a worker’s cancer and radiation exposure. Case: West Virginia Division of Highways v. Scott, No. 23-258, 08/01/2024, published. Facts: Larry Scott…

The West Virginia Supreme Court upheld the authorization of a pain management consultation for an injured worker. Case: Murray American Energy Inc. v. Stapel, No. 22-923, 08/01/2024, published. Facts: Sean Stapel worked…

West Virginia Supreme Court ruled that a worker was entitled to the expansion of his claim to add post-concussional syndrome and post-traumatic headaches. Case: Murray American Energy Inc. v. Yost, No.

The West Virginia Supreme Court upheld the expansion of a worker’s claim to add a shoulder injury. Case: Gibson v. Blackhawk Mining LLC, No. 23-178, 08/01/2024, published. Facts: Timothy Gibson worked for…

The West Virginia Supreme Court upheld the denial of a worker's request for additional benefits and the expansion of her claim. Case: Martin v. Wal-Mart Associates Inc., No. 23-115, 08/01/2024, published. Facts: Irene Martin…

The West Virginia Intermediate Court of Appeals upheld the denial of a worker’s request to expand her claim to include additional conditions. Case: Amane v. Pas Parent Inc., No. 23-109, 08/01/2024,…

The West Virginia Supreme Court upheld an award for an additional 22% permanent partial disability to a worker for her ankle injury. Case: Butler v. D&D Quality Care Inc., No. 23-147, 08/01/2024,…

The West Virginia Supreme Court upheld the expansion of a worker’s claim to include additional conditions. Case: McKinney v. Little General Store Inc., No. 23-117, 08/01/2024, published. Facts: Marilyn McKinney worked for…

West Virginia’s Intermediate Court of Appeals upheld the denial of a worker’s request to expand his claim and for authorization for a magnetic resonance imaging scan. Case: Hill v. Lowe's Home…

West Virginia’s Intermediate Court of Appeals upheld the denial of a widow’s claim for benefits, finding her late husband’s occupational pneumoconiosis had not materially contributed to his death. Sherman Bailey received…

West Virginia’s Intermediate Court of Appeals upheld the denial of a worker’s request to expand his claim to include additional conditions. Case: Justice v. Transwood, No. 24-ICA-57, 09/04/2024, unpublished. Facts: Keven Justice…

West Virginia’s Intermediate Court of Appeals ruled that a worker was not entitled to expand the scope of his claim to include additional conditions. Case: Hawkins v. Bimbo Bakeries Inc., No.

The West Virginia Supreme Court upheld the denial of a request to expand the scope of a worker’s claim and for additional imaging. Case: Cook v. Cecil I. Walker Machinery Co.,…

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…

A federal appellate court upheld the summary dismissal of an injured mechanic’s claim for disability discrimination. Case: Goosen v. Minnesota Department of Transportation, No. 23-2360, 06/24/2024, published. Facts: Robert Wayne Goosen worked…

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…

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…

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…

A divided Texas appellate court overturned a grant of summary judgment finding that an injured police officer was entitled to uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage under her own policy for an accident…

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

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 posted proposed changes to its pharmacy benefit rules that remove obsolete provisions and update reference language for consistency with other regulations. “When the rules were originally adopted,…

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 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…

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…

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 regulatory action to update employer forms and change the title of a rule. The division said it revised employer notice forms to conform to…

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…

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…

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 Mississippi Supreme Court ruled that an employer’s optional medical examination is not a reimbursable expense from a worker’s third-party recovery. Case: Brent v. Mississippi Department of Human Services, No. 2022-CT-00529-SCT,…

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…

The Maryland Insurance Administration announced that penalties for certain statutory violations will increase on Oct. 1. The maximum penalty the administration can impose on an unauthorized insurer or person engaging in the…

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 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…