workers’ compensation News

Iowa Supreme Reverses, Finds 911 Dispatcher’s PTSD Claim Compensable

The 911 dispatch center that employed Mandy Tripp denied her workers’ compensation claim for post-traumatic stress syndrome because fielding calls involving death and injury are part of the job. A divided Iowa Supreme Court rejected that reasoning on Friday, ruling …

4 Workers Hurt when Boston Subway Trains Collide

BOSTON (AP) — The Boston subway system continued to experience service disruptions on Thursday morning following a crash Wednesday night that sent four employees to the hospital, officials said. Both Green Line trains derailed in the crash at about 9:20 …

Okla. Supreme: Tort Reform Law Allows Lawsuit Against Employer

Jerry Harwood couldn’t collect workers’ compensation benefits after he was paralyzed when he was struck by a car while trying to cross US Route 66 after leaving his workplace. But a split decision by the Oklahoma Supreme Court on Wednesday …

Utah Supreme: Appearance of Conflict Enough to Disqualify Medical Evaluator

Workers’ compensation claimants don’t have to prove that the physicians appointed to resolve medical disputes have an “actual bias” — the mere appearance of a conflict of interest is enough to disqualify them from evaluating a claim, the Utah Supreme …

Ohio Supreme Finds Ditch Diggers Misclassified as Independent Contractors

Ditch diggers who accepted work assignments online and used their own spades and shovels to do the work cannot be classified as independent contractors by a company that contracted with Time Warner Cable to install underground lines, a divided Ohio …

Sovereign Immunity No Defense in $3B Coal-Ash Lawsuit, 6th Circuit Rules

Sovereign immunity does not protect a federal contractor against a lawsuit filed by some 60 former employees seeking $3 billion in punitive damages for illnesses suffered after exposure to toxic coal ash during a clean-up project, a federal appellate court …

Study Links Chiropractic Care to Lower Costs, Faster Return to Work

Chiropractors are involved in only a small fraction of workers’ compensation claims for low back pain in states where insurers or employers control the choice of medical provider, but a report released Tuesday suggests that skepticism about runaway costs may …

Kansas Supreme Court Orders More Fact-Finding in Air Ambulance Case

Federal law may prohibit states from regulating prices charged to insurers by air ambulance providers, but that doesn’t absolve the Workers’ Compensation Board of its responsibility to determine whether the billed charges are “usual and customary,” a split Kansas Supreme …

Visit to Goodyear Clinic Extends Life of Workers’ Comp Claim, North Carolina Court Finds

If insurers and employers want to deny a workers’ compensation claim because it was filed too late, they shouldn’t forget about a visit to the company doctor, which extends the clock under the quirks of North Carolina’s comp statutes. And …

Court Says Federal Law Preempts in Tossing New York Suit Over Amazon Worker Safety

A New York state appeals court on Tuesday dismissed state Attorney General Letitia James’ lawsuit accusing Amazon.com Inc. of failing to adequately protect thousands of workers at two New York City facilities against COVID-19. The Appellate Division in Manhattan said …