Five Things You Need to Know: 7/26, Wednesday Edition

• 07/26/17
• Dara Barney

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) -  1) OH: Northeast Employers to Receive Rebates at More than $269M    "Ohio’s workers’ compensation administrator visited the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank ...

Coal Ash Spill Survivors File Suit, Say They Were Threatened into not Filing for Workers' Comp

• 07/25/17
• Liz Carey

Kingston, TN (WorkersCompensation.com) – Eight years after the dust has settled, surviving cleanup workers of the largest coal ash spill in history are filing suit against the ...

Former Police Officer Sentenced for Workers' Comp Fraud

• 07/25/17
• Liz Carey

Costa Mesa, CA (WorkersCompensation.com) – A former police officer has been sentenced to six months in jail for filing a fraudulent workers’ compensation claim, authorities said Monday.  As previously reported ...

Five Things You Need to Know: 7/25, Tuesday Edition

• 07/25/17
• Dara Barney

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) -  1) IL: State Investigation Underway Involving Workers' Comp Commission Employee and Inappropriate Emails     Chicago-based Frank Capuzi is a former lawmaker's son and an ...

Court Orders AL Company to Pay $1.2M in Wrongful Termination Case

• 07/24/17
• Liz Carey

Clanton, AL (WorkersCompensation.com) – The Mobile County Circuit Court has ordered Merchants Food Service to pay more than $1.2 million in damages to a man who claims he was fired for filing a workers’ ...

Pot, Impairment and Car Crashes

• 07/25/17
• David Langham

I served on a panel at the Colorado workers' compensation conference this spring. IT was a tremendous program in an ideal setting at the base of Pikes Peak. Believe it or not, the subject of Marijuana came up (In Colorado, who'd have thought). ...

Writ Protection as Opposed to Appeal

• 07/24/17
• David Langham

In June, the Florida First District Court published its opinion in Lewis v. Dollar Rent a Car. The case is instructive and interesting. Though it is an appellate court decision, it is not technically an "appeal." Appellate courts have both ...

Updates in Funding of Future Medical in Workers’ Compensation: Arizona Now Allows for Full and Final Settlements; Opana ER Removed from Market

• 07/24/17
• Heather Schwartz Sanderson

There are two recent updates which may impact workers’ compensation payers looking to finalize and foreclose future ...

Three Essential Elements of Any Return to Work Program

• 07/24/17
• J. Bradley Young

One of the more frustrating aspects of defending or managing a workers’ compensation program is getting injured workers back to work. Usually, we are faced with either (A) an injured worker who wants to stay at home and ...

The Workforce Age Impact

• 07/21/17
• John D'Alusio

Recently, an article was published in Claims Journal that indicated workers’ comp loss development is impacted by the “changing workforce.” Basically, the gist of the piece was that, “Experienced workers being replaced by less ...

NY Woman Who Stole Nearly $40,000 In Workers' Comp Benefits Meant For Her Deceased Mother Sentenced; To Pay Full Restitution

• 07/25/17
• WorkersCompensation.com

Albany, NY (WorkersCompensation.com) - New York State Inspector General Catherine Leahy Scott today announced the sentencing of a Kentucky ...

Jail for Unregistered WA Contractor

• 07/25/17
• WorkersCompensation.com

Shelton, WA (WorkersCompensation.com) - A roofer who was criminally charged twice in 13 months for working illegally as a contractor has been sentenced to 15 days behind bars. Peter Daniel Yeaman, 57, pleaded guilty Thursday in ...

Cal/OSHA and Chevron Reach Settlement of Citations Appeal Following the August 2012 Richmond Refinery Fire

• 07/25/17
• WorkersCompensation.com

Oakland, CA (WorkersCompensation.com) - Cal/OSHA and Chevron have reached a settlement agreement for a comprehensive plan that will improve safety at the Chevron ...

A Cultural Change: Viewing Opioid Addiction as a Brain Disease

• 07/24/17
• WorkersCompensation.com

Oklahoma City, OK (WorkersCompensation.com) - The nation’s modern-day Black Death is opioid addiction, said Dr. Jason Beaman. “Like the plague in the 14th century and the HIV/AIDS crisis in ...

NJ Aluminum Manufacturing Company's History of Safety Violations Continues; Inspection Yields $1.9M in Penalties

• 07/24/17
• WorkersCompensation.com

Delair, NJ (WorkersCompensation.com) - The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has again cited a Camden ...

Social Security Numbers and Workers' Comp Forms: California Here We Come

• 07/25/17
• Robert Wilson

I don’t really enjoy discussing mistakes, but it is an unavoidable part of life and business. Some people will tell you that if you are not making mistakes, then you just aren’t doing anything. ...

Rousmaniere and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

• 07/24/17
• BWilson

Peter Rousmaniere made an excellent point last week with his column, The Stale State of Reform. In it he discussed our industry’s almost myopic focus on cost whenever legislative reform is discussed. He rightly pointed out that, not ...

Nevada's Pandemic Pot Panic

• 07/20/17
• Robert Wilson

Never has the statement “Follow the money” been truer. Last week, the state of Nevada, which began allowing the sale of recreational marijuana on July 1, 2017, declared a “State of Emergency” because – wait for it – ...

The Billboard Advisory: Work Injuries Hurt Entire Families

• 07/18/17
• Robert Wilson

There are two billboards along Interstate 476, just south of Allentown, Pennsylvania. Both reside high on a hilltop, and are positioned on opposite sides of the highway with strong visibility for oncoming traffic. Based on a ...

Can We Create a Reliable Medical Records Pipeline?

• 07/12/17
• Robert Wilson

It was just a passing comment during a pretty creative presentation; but it really stood out for me. The Southern Association of Workers’ Compensation Administrators (SAWCA) is currently producing it’s 69th Annual ...

Keeping Teens Safe on the Job

• 07/25/17
• Greg LaRochelle

Many states have laws allowing teens as young as 14 years old to work in the hospitality industry in seasonal workplaces like movie theaters, amusement parks, bowling alleys, and some parts of hotels and bakeries.  These jobs can teach great work ...

Stonetrust's New CEO Mike Dileo Talks Expansion, Louisiana Market Conditions

• 07/25/17
• Nina Luckman

A new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is in at Baton Rouge-based Stonetrust Commercial Insurance Company. Michael Dileo, most recently Senior Vice President of Operations at Stonetrust, has succeeded ...

Why “Abuse Deterrent” Is A Misnomer

• 07/25/17
• ReduceYourWorkersComp.com

  According to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA), opioid formulations with abuse-deterrent properties are meant to target expected routes of abuse, such as crushing in order to snort or dissolving in order to inject. ...

The 2017 Medicare Trustees Report: Hospital Trust Fund Remains in Short and Long Term Trouble, Supplemental Trust Fund is Adequately Financed

• 07/24/17
• Rafael Gonzalez

On July 13, 2017, the Boards of Trustees for the Federal Hospital Insurance and Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Funds published ...

Employer-Reported Workplace Injuries and Illnesses Continue to Decline

• 07/24/17
• Jon Gelman

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)  has reported that there were approximately 2.9 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses reported by private industry employers in 2015, which ...

Five Things You Need to Know: 7/26, Wednesday Edition

• 07/26/17
• Dara Barney

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) -  1) OH: Northeast Employers to Receive Rebates at More than $269M    "Ohio’s workers’ compensation administrator visited the Akron-Canton Regional ...

Cal/OSHA and Chevron Reach Settlement of Citations Appeal Following the August 2012 Richmond Refinery Fire

• 07/25/17
• WorkersCompensation.com

Oakland, CA (WorkersCompensation.com) - Cal/OSHA and Chevron have reached a settlement agreement for a comprehensive plan that will improve safety at the Chevron ...

NY Woman Who Stole Nearly $40,000 In Workers' Comp Benefits Meant For Her Deceased Mother Sentenced; To Pay Full Restitution

• 07/25/17
• WorkersCompensation.com

Albany, NY (WorkersCompensation.com) - New York State Inspector General Catherine Leahy Scott today announced the sentencing of a Kentucky ...

Jail for Unregistered WA Contractor

• 07/25/17
• WorkersCompensation.com

Shelton, WA (WorkersCompensation.com) - A roofer who was criminally charged twice in 13 months for working illegally as a contractor has been sentenced to 15 days behind bars. Peter Daniel Yeaman, 57, pleaded guilty Thursday in ...

Social Security Numbers and Workers' Comp Forms: California Here We Come

• 07/25/17
• Robert Wilson

I don’t really enjoy discussing mistakes, but it is an unavoidable part of life and business. Some people will tell you that if you are not making mistakes, then you just aren’t doing ...

Jim Thompson

Jim Thompson is a veteran award-winning journalist with 30 years of experience as a newspaper reporter and editor. During his career, he has covered state and local government in Georgia, the University of Georgia, and a range of economic ...

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Phil Yacuboski

Phil Yacuboski is a freelance writer based in Maryland. He writes about business, healthcare and technology. In his spare time, Phil enjoys the outdoors and photography.

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Peter Rousmaniere

Peter Rousmaniere is widely known throughout the workers’ compensation industry, both for his writing and consulting experience. Based in the picture perfect New England town of Woodstock, VT, he is a regular on the conference circuit, and is deeply ...

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Dara Barney

Dara Barney comes to WorkersCompensation.com as the Senior Editor of Premium Media. Her previous journalism experience in Idaho and California, along with her former role as Public Information Specialist at the Idaho Industrial Commission, all play ...

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John D'Alusio

John D’Alusio has over 30 years experience in P/C insurance with executive management positions in administration, field operations, and claim technical areas. Mr. D’Alusio has had many articles published in industry periodicals, and is also a ...

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Liz Carey

Liz Carey has worked as a writer, reporter and editor for nearly 25 years. First, as an investigative reporter for Gannett and later as the Vice President of a local Chamber of Commerce, Carey has covered everything from local government to the ...

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Heather Schwartz Sanderson

Heather Schwartz Sanderson, Esq., MSCC, CHPE, CLMP, CMSP Heather is Chief Legal Officer for Franco Signor LLC, the nation's compliance authority for Medicare Secondary Payer (MSP) matters. She has lectured on MSP compliance to the workers’ ...

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Terry Bogyo

Terry is an active researcher, speaker and commentator on workers compensation issues. Now retired, he was the Director of Corporate Planning and Development for WorkSafeBC. His responsibilities included environmental scanning, strategic planning ...

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Judge David Langham

David Langham is the Deputy Chief Judge of Compensation Claims for the Florida Office of Judges of Compensation Claims at the Division of Administrative Hearings. He has been involved in workers’ compensation for over 25 years as an attorney, an ...

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Bob Wilson

Bob Wilson is the CEO of WorkersCompensation.com, and author of the award winning blog, "From Bob's Cluttered Desk". Bob is an accomplished presenter for the workers' comp industry, and we are lucky to have him. We don't ...

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