After months of negotiations, California labor unions and employers finally came together to help produce SB 863, a new law that overhauls much of that state’s workers’ compensation system.  Everyone agreed that the system needed to be more efficient.  And everyone agreed that some things needed to become less costly.  But the parties to the… Continue Reading Analyses of California’s Workers’ Compensation Overhaul See Unintended Consequences in Primary Care Costs

A recent article (http://www.workerscompensation.com/compnewsnetwork/news/16454-transportation-incidents-are-a-leading-cause-of-workplace-fatalities.html), focusing on the state of Indiana, highlighted the number of car accidents that take place in the course of employment.  The article noted that, not only are car crashes among the leading causes of death in the United States, “[i]n 2011, transportation-related incidents were the leading cause of workplace fatalities in… Continue Reading Work-Related Car Accidents Are Covered Under Workers’ Compensation Systems—But They Can Be Difficult To Prove

Major Employers Imposing Penalties for Unhealthy Workers As reported this week in The Wall Street Journal (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324600704578402784123334550.html), Michelin North America, Inc.—a branch of the worldwide company that employs over 100,000 people—has decided to implement a penalty for some of its less healthy workers.  According to a recent announcement by the tire-maker, employees with high blood… Continue Reading Major Employers Imposing Penalties for Unhealthy Workers

Appellate Division Affirms Award of Temporary Disability Workers’ Compensation Benefits On January 31st, 2011, Michael Johnson—an employee of Hamilton Township’s Water Pollution Control Facility represented by David Schroth, Esq—reached inside a control panel that regulated the flow of sludge for the facility.  The panel malfunctioned, however, and Johnson was severely electrocuted.  He was found semi-conscious… Continue Reading Appellate Division Affirms Award of Temporary Disability Workers’ Compensation Benefits

In late February of this year, a conference was held in Boston on workers’ compensation law.  The event—organized by the Workers’ Compensation Research Institute (WCRI)—highlighted a number of interesting issues.  The primary topic, for example, was long-term opioid misuse, the rising costs associated with this problem, and various potential solutions to it. One other area… Continue Reading Recent Conference Highlighted Successes in Indiana’s Workers’ Compensation System