Workers Compensation
Court Decides Who Should Pay for Injured Worker’s Chronic Back Pain Treated with Medical Marijuana
When this injured worker self-weaned off opioids as a pain management medication, he turned to medical marijuana. The court had to decide who was responsible for payments.In 2006, Edward Appel suffered a work-related herniated disc while on the job as an employee for GWC Warranty Corporation. Appel went on to receive two lower back surgeries.…
Read MoreOfficials: 30 California Workers Getting $437K in from Food Company
California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara and California Labor Commissioner Lilia Garcia-Brower on Monday announced the resolution of criminal charges filed against Golden Food Inc in a plea agreement in which the company admitted to a litany of labor violations, including more than $437,000 in stolen wages to be paid back to more than 30 California…
Read MoreAccountant Charged With $10 Million in Construction Workers’ Compensation Fraud
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, Jr. announced two indictments of a certified public accountant for defrauding the New York State Insurance Fund (NYSIF) of more than $10 million in workers’ compensation insurance premium payments. Accountant Steve Lyon Lyon was charged with several counts of insurance fraud in a New York State Supreme Court indictment.…
Read MoreCalifornia Companies Pay Higher Taxes for Unemployment Debt
One potential consequence of California’s ballooning budget deficit: Higher taxes for businesses, with increases possible every year for the next decade. Business owners pay a tax on each of their workers. The money goes into a fund that states use to pay unemployment benefits when people lose their jobs. During the coronavirus pandemic, so…
Read More34% of Workplace Injuries Occur in First Year on the Job: Travelers
More than a third of workplace injuries occur during employees’ first year on the job, regardless of age or industry experience, according to a new report from Travelers. In fact, an employee’s time spent in a particular role is one of the driving factors in injury frequency, according to Travelers 2023 Injury Impact Report, which…
Read MoreCannabis retailers extending 4/20 promotions from 1 day to up to a month
Every year on 4/20, cannabis retailers across the U.S. gear up to celebrate the unofficial April 20 marijuana holiday with promotions, deals and in-store events aimed at attracting new customers and keeping the ones they have. While this year is no exception – coming three years after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic –…
Read MoreAmazon Worker Injuries Dip Last Year, but Higher Than 2020
Amazon’s total injury rate for warehouse workers took a dip last year, but injuries were still worse than they were in 2020, according to an analysis released Wednesday by a coalition of labor unions. The report, which was compiled by the Strategic Organizing Center and examines data Amazon has submitted to the Occupational Safety…
Read MoreCalifornia Landscapers Arraigned in Workers’ Comp Premium Fraud Scheme
Five defendants were arraigned this week on multiple felony counts of insurance fraud after a California Department of Insurance investigation found a landscaping company some of the defendants owned allegedly underreported wages to their insurer to reduce their workers’ comp premiums. Three defendants include Antonio Martinez Resendiz, 36, of Murrieta, Ismael Martinez Resendiz, 34,…
Read MoreIgnited by Pandemic Changes, Insurers Embraced Innovation
The pandemic kickstarted the new wave of accepting and using innovative systems and methods in the insurance industry. It opened eyes to the ways that innovations and technology could do more than just efficiently get the work done. While the pandemic presented more than its fair share of challenges, it also created opportunity and…
Read MoreClimate Activists Tell Insurance CEOs to Stop Covering Carbon Projects ‘Immediately’
A group of climate activists has called on 30 insurance company bosses to “immediately” stop underwriting new fossil fuel projects in the wake of a stark climate warning from U.N. scientists, a letter seen by Reuters showed. Insure our Future, a global consortium of activists, said it sent the letter dated March 21 to…
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