Newest Articles

Apr 1, 2025

Rear-Ended While Intoxicated—and Still Covered: A Careful Reading of NY’s § 10(1)

In a bizarre case that turned on the precise wording of N.Y. Workers' Comp. Law § 10(1), a state appellate court affirmed a Board decision awarding benefits to a claimant...

Rear-Ended While Intoxicated—and Still Covered: A Careful Reading of NY’s § 10(1) Rear-Ended While Intoxicated—and Still Covered: A Careful Reading of NY’s § 10(1)
Mar 31, 2025

Independent Contractor Peace Officer Not Covered by Workers’ Compensation

Texas Court Applies Motor Carrier Exception to General Contractor Rule A Texas appellate court has affirmed a trial court’s take-nothing judgment in favor of Texas Mutual Insurance Company, concluding that...

Independent Contractor Peace Officer Not Covered by Workers’ Compensation Independent Contractor Peace Officer Not Covered by Workers’ Compensation
Mar 27, 2025

Throwback Thursday: New York Central R. Co. v. White (1917)

Background The early 20th century saw a seismic shift in how American society approached workplace injuries. Before the widespread adoption of workers' compensation laws, injured workers typically had to sue...

Throwback Thursday: New York Central R. Co. v. White (1917) Throwback Thursday: New York Central R. Co. v. White (1917)
Mar 26, 2025

Routine Disciplinary Meeting Not a Compensable “Accident” Under NC’ Comp Act

In Muse v. Daimler Trucks N. Am., 2025 N.C. App. LEXIS 113 (Mar. 19, 2025), the North Carolina Court of Appeals affirmed the Industrial Commission’s denial of workers’ compensation benefits...

Routine Disciplinary Meeting Not a Compensable “Accident” Under NC’ Comp Act Routine Disciplinary Meeting Not a Compensable “Accident” Under NC’ Comp Act

All Articles

ARCHIVE
2025
2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
Mar 10, 2025

VA Truck Driver’s Assault Following Road Rage Incident Found Compensable

In a decision that reinforces Virginia’s approach to compensability under the state’s Workers’ Compensation Act (“the Act”), the Virginia Court of Appeals has affirmed an award of benefits to a...

VA Truck Driver’s Assault Following Road Rage Incident Found Compensable VA Truck Driver’s Assault Following Road Rage Incident Found Compensable
Mar 6, 2025

Throwback Thursday: Guidry v. Sline Industrial Painters, Inc. (1982)

Background On December 28, 1979, Alcide Guidry, a 53-year-old industrial painter, arrived at work as usual at 7:30 a.m. for Sline Industrial Painters. Assigned with a colleague to paint large...

Throwback Thursday: Guidry v. Sline Industrial Painters, Inc. (1982) Throwback Thursday: Guidry v. Sline Industrial Painters, Inc. (1982)
Mar 4, 2025

California Supreme Court Preserves Maritime Claims for Workers Excluded from LHWCA

In an important decision for maritime law and workers’ rights, the California Supreme Court has ruled that workers excluded from the federal Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA) may...

California Supreme Court Preserves Maritime Claims for Workers Excluded from LHWCA California Supreme Court Preserves Maritime Claims for Workers Excluded from LHWCA
Mar 3, 2025

PA Court Rules on COVID-19 “E-Time” Payments in Workers’ Comp Case

In a recent Pennsylvania workers’ compensation case, the state’s Commonwealth Court ruled that pandemic-related “excused time” payments, such as Philadelphia’s “E-Time” program, do not constitute “payments in lieu of compensation”...

PA Court Rules on COVID-19 “E-Time” Payments in Workers’ Comp Case PA Court Rules on COVID-19 “E-Time” Payments in Workers’ Comp Case
Feb 27, 2025

Throwback Thursday: Waters v. William J. Taylor Co. (1916) – The Humanitarian Rescue Doctrine

Background In 1916, the New York Court of Appeals issued a groundbreaking decision that would fundamentally shape how workers’ compensation law treats rescue attempts. The case, Waters v. William J....

Throwback Thursday: Waters v. William J. Taylor Co. (1916) – The Humanitarian Rescue Doctrine Throwback Thursday: Waters v. William J. Taylor Co. (1916) – The Humanitarian Rescue Doctrine
Feb 26, 2025

Florida Court Nixes Worker’s Comp Award for Spouse’s Household Chores

Yesterday, in Girardin v. An Fort Myers Imps., LLC (2025 Fla. App. LEXIS 1292, Feb. 19, 2025), Florida’s First District Court of Appeal struck down an award for attendant care...

Florida Court Nixes Worker’s Comp Award for Spouse’s Household Chores Florida Court Nixes Worker’s Comp Award for Spouse’s Household Chores
Feb 20, 2025

Throwback Thursday: Krause v. Swartwood (1928) – When Lunch is Part of the Job

Background In 1928, the Minnesota Supreme Court issued a decision that would help establish important principles about when off-premises lunch injuries fall within the scope of workers’ compensation coverage. The...

Throwback Thursday: Krause v. Swartwood (1928) – When Lunch is Part of the Job Throwback Thursday: Krause v. Swartwood (1928) – When Lunch is Part of the Job
Feb 19, 2025

NY Court Upholds Permanent Benefits Ban Based on Surveillance Evidence

In a decision that reinforces the potential consequences of misrepresenting one’s physical condition, a New York appellate court has upheld the permanent disqualification from wage replacement benefits of a workers’...

NY Court Upholds Permanent Benefits Ban Based on Surveillance Evidence NY Court Upholds Permanent Benefits Ban Based on Surveillance Evidence
Feb 18, 2025

Drug Test Delay Dooms Kansas Employer’s Attempt to Deny Benefits

In an unpublished decision, a Kansas appellate court has struck down an employer’s attempt to deny workers’ compensation benefits to an employee who refused a drug test 18 days after...

Drug Test Delay Dooms Kansas Employer’s Attempt to Deny Benefits Drug Test Delay Dooms Kansas Employer’s Attempt to Deny Benefits
Feb 14, 2025

Cautious Medical Testimony Dooms NY Teacher’s Stroke Claim

In Matter of Tudor v. Whitehall Cent. Sch. Dist., 2025 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 827 (3d Dept., Feb. 13, 2025), the New York Appellate Division, Third Department, affirmed the state...

Cautious Medical Testimony Dooms NY Teacher’s Stroke Claim Cautious Medical Testimony Dooms NY Teacher’s Stroke Claim
Feb 13, 2025

Throwback Thursday: Kelly v. Federal Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co. (1949)

Background On May 21, 1946, Kelly fell and injured his left knee in an accident which arose out of and in the course of his employment with the employer. He...

Throwback Thursday: Kelly v. Federal Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co. (1949) Throwback Thursday: Kelly v. Federal Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co. (1949)
Feb 10, 2025

Florida Workers’ Comp Lien Includes Post-Settlement Benefits

A Florida appellate court has ruled that a workers’ compensation carrier’s statutory lien rights extend to all benefits paid through the date of equitable distribution, not merely those paid through...

Florida Workers’ Comp Lien Includes Post-Settlement Benefits Florida Workers’ Comp Lien Includes Post-Settlement Benefits

New Comments

  • trob: Thanks for the query. New York's going and coming doctrine is similar to that in place in the majority of jurisdictions. That is to say that for employees with a fixed place of work and who are on a relatively consistent work schedule, the commute to and from the residence is outside the course and scope of the employment. Often overlooked is the fact that the employee must generally have a fixed ...
  • ramivou: Is coming and going covered in NY?
  • 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...