A trial court did not abuse its discretion by denying a post-dismissal motion for sanctions without first holding a hearing, an Ohio appellate court ruled. Michael Shields worked as a mechanic…

The Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation awarded $9.4 million in grants for workplace safety projects. The Workforce Safety Innovation Grants disbursed this year are funding four proof-of-concept projects and four prototype…

The Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation announced that the owner of an electrical service company pleaded guilty to workers’ compensation fraud and has paid restitution of nearly $16,000. BWC’s Special Investigations Department received…

An Ohio appellate court rejected an employer’s challenge to a loss-of-use award to a worker who underwent a partial surgical amputation of his foot. Case: State ex rel. Randstad North America…

An Ohio appellate court ruled that an employer was not entitled to relief from an enhanced award of benefits to a worker because it violated a specific safety regulation. Keith Rice…

An Ohio appellate court rescinded a worker’s award of permanent total disability benefits, finding he had engaged in fraud by collecting compensation while he was working. Kenneth G. Holbrook worked for…

An Ohio appellate court upheld the dismissal of a public university worker's civil suit against his employer for injuries from a fall on a campus walkway. Case: Marzan v. University of…

An Ohio appellate court upheld the denial of a worker’s claim for permanent total disability benefits, finding that she had some residual work capacity. Case: Lee v. Industrial Commission, No. 22AP-446,…

The Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation announced it is offering up to $30 million in funding for safety grants to support research and development of equipment and technology to protect…

The Kentucky Court of Appeals ruled that the mediation scheme established by statute and regulation is discretionary, not mandatory. Case: Duke v. GE Haier, No. 2024-CA-0098-WC, and Long v. Universal Linen,…

The Kentucky Supreme Court ruled that an administrative law judge’s order awarding temporary total disability benefits to an injured worker was interlocutory and not appealable. Case: Spencer County Fiscal Court v.

The Kentucky Court of Appeals ruled that an injured ironworker was not entitled to benefits for additional conditions, nor was he entitled to a statutory enhancement on his permanent partial…

The Kentucky Division of Occupational Safety and Health is holding a free safety training event this month. The four-day event will include sessions exploring effective safety and health management programs and…

The Kentucky Court of Appeals upheld an award of benefits to an injured assembly line worker, plus medical benefits and a three-multiplier. Case: General Motors LLC v. Smith, No. 2024-CA-0367-WC, 07/12/2024,…

The Kentucky Court of Appeals upheld the denial of total disability benefits to an injured electrician. Case: Blaker v. The Kroger Co., No. 2024-CA-0553-WC, 07/26/2024, unpublished. Facts: Robert Blaker Jr. worked for…

The Kentucky Court of Appeals upheld a reduction in a worker’s award of temporary total disability benefits to eliminate compensation for the time after he was terminated up until he…

The Kentucky Supreme Court last week suspended an attorney for misconduct related to his representation of a client in a probate matter and a workers’ compensation claim. Barry Nathaniel Sullivan was…

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 an award of benefits for a worker with a cumulative trauma back injury. Case: Martin Marietta Materials Inc. v. Stamper, No. 2024-CA-0727-WC, 08/23/2024, unpublished. Facts: James Stamper…

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 ruled that an insurance carrier had no obligation to pay a worker's medical bills that were submitted more than 45 days after the treatments were rendered. Case: Shepherd…

The Kentucky Court of Appeals upheld the calculation of an injured worker’s average weekly wage and a determination that her award was not subject to a multiplier. Case: Burks v. United…

The Kentucky Court of Appeals upheld the calculation of a worker’s average weekly wage that includes a lump sum of vacation pay with her wages, and it denied review of the…

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…

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 Department of Labor and Industry proposed rules that would add intentional misclassification to the list of violations that justify assessing the maximum penalty. The department will hold a hearing…

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 ruled that a judge erred in failing to find that a worker’s claim for additional benefits was time-barred. Case: American Airlines Group v. Lopez, No. 1D2023-0379, 05/22/2024,…

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 Florida appellate court ruled that a judge of compensation claims erroneously calculated a minor league baseball player’s average weekly wage. Austin Sodders entered into a seven-year minor league contract with…

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…

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…

Federal workplace safety investigators cited Circle K Stores Inc. for failing to provide a safe place of employment after a cashier suffered a serious gunshot injury during a robbery. Two men…

A Florida appellate court ruled that an employer should have been granted a continuance after its medical expert expressed an unforeseen change in opinion shortly before the scheduled hearing on…

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 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…

The Industrial Commission of Arizona announced that Joanna Martelles was chosen to serve in the newly created position of Safety and Health Program manager. The new position will be tasked with…

A Louisiana appellate court upheld the summary dismissal of a municipal employee’s suit against her employer for her injuries from a fall allegedly caused by the city’s negligence in maintaining…

A Louisiana appellate court ruled that the state insurance guaranty association was liable for covering the obligations of two insolvent insurance carriers for a worker’s mesothelioma. Case: Ehlers v. Ports America…

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…

The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a determination that a worker did not qualify as a Jones Act seaman. Case: Edwards v. InterMoor Inc., No. 23-30727, 08/29/2024, unpublished. Facts: Lawrence…

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 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 Workers’ Compensation Commission adopted new benefit payment rules after lawmakers permitted the agency to allow electronic payments. The commission on Friday published a statement announcing that the new…

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…