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Dec 18, 2024

Arkansas Court Reverses Permanent Benefits Award for COVID-Related Heart Condition

The Arkansas Court of Appeals has reversed a workers’ compensation award for permanent impairment related to atrial fibrillation that developed following a COVID-19 infection [Booneville Hum. Dev. Ctr. v. Foster,...

Arkansas Court Reverses Permanent Benefits Award for COVID-Related Heart Condition Arkansas Court Reverses Permanent Benefits Award for COVID-Related Heart Condition
Dec 17, 2024

MS High Court: Contractor Immune From Tort Claim Filed By Subcontractor’s Officer Who Opted Out of Comp Coverage

A general contractor that contractually required its subcontractors to maintain workers’ compensation insurance is immune from tort liability, even when sued by a corporate officer of the subcontractor who had...

MS High Court: Contractor Immune From Tort Claim Filed By Subcontractor’s Officer Who Opted Out of Comp Coverage MS High Court: Contractor Immune From Tort Claim Filed By Subcontractor’s Officer Who Opted Out of Comp Coverage
Dec 16, 2024

Ohio Supreme Court: Motions for Attorney Fees May Be Filed at any Time

A divided Ohio Supreme Court has held that a workers’ compensation claimant who prevails at trial may file a motion for appellate attorney fees after obtaining a favorable appellate decision,...

Ohio Supreme Court: Motions for Attorney Fees May Be Filed at any Time Ohio Supreme Court: Motions for Attorney Fees May Be Filed at any Time
Dec 12, 2024

West Virginia University Employee’s Long COVID Claim Denied

Adding to the growing body of COVID-19 workers’ compensation jurisprudence, in a memorandum decision, West Virginia’s Intermediate Court of Appeals has affirmed the denial of additional medical conditions allegedly stemming...

West Virginia University Employee’s Long COVID Claim Denied West Virginia University Employee’s Long COVID Claim Denied

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Dec 20, 2024

PA Commonwealth Court Says No Credit Allowed for Pension Benefits Provided by Employer to Injured Retiree

In Bradford County v. Pasko, 323 A.3d 39 (Pa. Commw. 2024), the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court affirmed a Workers’ Compensation Appeal Board decision that denied an employer’s claimed offset against workers’...

PA Commonwealth Court Says No Credit Allowed for Pension Benefits Provided by Employer to Injured Retiree PA Commonwealth Court Says No Credit Allowed for Pension Benefits Provided by Employer to Injured Retiree
Dec 18, 2024

Arkansas Court Reverses Permanent Benefits Award for COVID-Related Heart Condition

The Arkansas Court of Appeals has reversed a workers’ compensation award for permanent impairment related to atrial fibrillation that developed following a COVID-19 infection [Booneville Hum. Dev. Ctr. v. Foster,...

Arkansas Court Reverses Permanent Benefits Award for COVID-Related Heart Condition Arkansas Court Reverses Permanent Benefits Award for COVID-Related Heart Condition
Dec 17, 2024

MS High Court: Contractor Immune From Tort Claim Filed By Subcontractor’s Officer Who Opted Out of Comp Coverage

A general contractor that contractually required its subcontractors to maintain workers’ compensation insurance is immune from tort liability, even when sued by a corporate officer of the subcontractor who had...

MS High Court: Contractor Immune From Tort Claim Filed By Subcontractor’s Officer Who Opted Out of Comp Coverage MS High Court: Contractor Immune From Tort Claim Filed By Subcontractor’s Officer Who Opted Out of Comp Coverage
Dec 16, 2024

Ohio Supreme Court: Motions for Attorney Fees May Be Filed at any Time

A divided Ohio Supreme Court has held that a workers’ compensation claimant who prevails at trial may file a motion for appellate attorney fees after obtaining a favorable appellate decision,...

Ohio Supreme Court: Motions for Attorney Fees May Be Filed at any Time Ohio Supreme Court: Motions for Attorney Fees May Be Filed at any Time
Dec 12, 2024

West Virginia University Employee’s Long COVID Claim Denied

Adding to the growing body of COVID-19 workers’ compensation jurisprudence, in a memorandum decision, West Virginia’s Intermediate Court of Appeals has affirmed the denial of additional medical conditions allegedly stemming...

West Virginia University Employee’s Long COVID Claim Denied West Virginia University Employee’s Long COVID Claim Denied
Dec 10, 2024

Iowa: Co-Employee Not Liable in Fatal Machine Accident

Deceased Employee’s Estate Fails to Show Gross Negligence In Lavery v. Campbell, 2024 Iowa App. LEXIS 849 (Dec. 4, 2024), an Iowa appellate court affirmed summary judgment in favor of...

Iowa: Co-Employee Not Liable in Fatal Machine Accident Iowa: Co-Employee Not Liable in Fatal Machine Accident
Dec 9, 2024

NC Court: Settlement Agreement Does Not Bar Later Claim for New Injury to Same Body Part

In Collins v. Wieland Copper Prods., LLC, 2024 N.C. App. LEXIS 958 (Dec. 3, 2024), the North Carolina Court of Appeals held that a 2014 settlement agreement resolving a worker’s...

NC Court: Settlement Agreement Does Not Bar Later Claim for New Injury to Same Body Part NC Court: Settlement Agreement Does Not Bar Later Claim for New Injury to Same Body Part
Dec 5, 2024

Ohio Supreme Court Vacates Commission’s TTD Award re: Post-Termination Surgery

In a case of first impression regarding the application of Ohio R.C. 4123.56(F), the Ohio Supreme Court has reversed the Tenth District Court of Appeals’ refusal to vacate an Industrial...

Ohio Supreme Court Vacates Commission’s TTD Award re: Post-Termination Surgery Ohio Supreme Court Vacates Commission’s TTD Award re: Post-Termination Surgery
Dec 3, 2024

NJ Court Finds Teacher’s COVID-19 Death Compensable Under State’s “Essential Employee” Presumption

A New Jersey appellate court has affirmed a compensation judge’s determination that a public school teacher who died from COVID-19 qualified as an “essential employee” under the state’s special pandemic...

NJ Court Finds Teacher’s COVID-19 Death Compensable Under State’s “Essential Employee” Presumption NJ Court Finds Teacher’s COVID-19 Death Compensable Under State’s “Essential Employee” Presumption
Dec 2, 2024

Oregon Court Affirms Award Where Elderly Worker Fainted For Unknown Reason

The Oregon Court of Appeals recently affirmed a Workers’ Compensation Board decision awarding benefits to an 85-year-old worker who fainted while waiting for an employer-mandated vaccination [SAIF Corp. v. Kelkay,...

Oregon Court Affirms Award Where Elderly Worker Fainted For Unknown Reason Oregon Court Affirms Award Where Elderly Worker Fainted For Unknown Reason
Nov 25, 2024

Hawaii: Defamation Claims Against Employer Not Barred by Workers’ Compensation Exclusivity

The Intermediate Court of Appeals of Hawai’i recently held that while an employee’s negligent supervision claim against his employer was barred by workers’ compensation exclusivity, he should have been given...

Hawaii: Defamation Claims Against Employer Not Barred by Workers’ Compensation Exclusivity Hawaii: Defamation Claims Against Employer Not Barred by Workers’ Compensation Exclusivity
Nov 21, 2024

Divided PA Court Says “Continuous Service,” Not Level of Activity, Key to Firefighter Cancer Benefits

In Borough of Hollidaysburg v. Detwiler, 2024 Pa. Commw. LEXIS 243 (Nov. 19, 2024), a divided Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania held that to enjoy the state’s presumption of compensability, volunteer...

Divided PA Court Says “Continuous Service,” Not Level of Activity, Key to Firefighter Cancer Benefits Divided PA Court Says “Continuous Service,” Not Level of Activity, Key to Firefighter Cancer Benefits

New Comments

  • trob: Excellent question. My thought is that the employer was following what it assumed was the typical practice of seeking to protect its "subrogation" interest in state court; in virtually all jurisdictions, the state trial courts are where subrogation issues are litigated. What differed here, of course, was that it wasn't a standard subrogation case, i.e., the employee's work-related injury wasn't ca...
  • ramivou: Why didn't they file it with the state Commission instead?
  • Thomas A. Robinson: I suspect that ACME could seek contractual indemnity, as you note, either from the staffing agency or its carrier. The goal of the Board or agency generally is to see to the proper award of benefits for compensable injuries. Allowing the "aggrieved" parties to sort it out later is completely consistent with the overall theory of workers' compensation. Many thanks for the comment. Best wishes.
  • Barry Stinson: I wonder if Acme's insurer could seek contractural indemnity from Variety's insurer outside of the WC system.
  • Michael C. Duff: The conceptual distinction is between joint causation and presumptive single causation.
  • Thomas A. Robinson: Sorry, I don't/can't provide legal advice. Best wishes, however.
  • Ken Smith: What can I do when my attorney blows my case with an incomplete RB89
  • Thomas A. Robinson: Good point, although the interesting thing about the case--at least to me--is that it discusses the important "injury by accident" issue. That issue, present in at least a plurality of state acts, is largely ignored by Commissions, Boards, and Courts these days. Here, also, the case was so fact-specific that even it had been issued as published, it would be factually distinguishable from many othe...
  • kathlyn gorman: It should have been noted in your discussion that this is an unpublished opinion of the North Carolina Court of Appeals. Thus, it does not constitute controlling legal authority.
  • Thomas A. Robinson: You're correct. Ordinarily, I can depend upon Alabama to provide me with at least one case for "the List." I'll bet 2022 will unearth something bizarre from the Great State of Alabama. Take care.