Newest Articles

Jan 6, 2025

Iowa Court Affirms Denial of Benefits re: COVID-19 Claim

In Collins v. Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority (DART), 2024 Iowa App. LEXIS 918 (Dec. 18, 2024), the Iowa Court of Appeals affirmed denial of workers’ compensation benefits to...

Iowa Court Affirms Denial of Benefits re: COVID-19 Claim Iowa Court Affirms Denial of Benefits re: COVID-19 Claim
Jan 6, 2025

Nebraska COVID-19 Claim Fails For Want of Expert Medical Evidence

In Spisa-Kline v. Mary Lanning Memorial Hospital, 2024 Neb. App. LEXIS 750 (Dec. 31, 2024), the Nebraska Court of Appeals affirmed summary judgment for the employer in a workers’ compensation...

Nebraska COVID-19 Claim Fails For Want of Expert Medical Evidence Nebraska COVID-19 Claim Fails For Want of Expert Medical Evidence
Dec 31, 2024

Oregon Jaywalker Might Be Awarded Benefits

Appeals Court Examines Going and Coming Rule The Oregon Court of Appeals has reversed and remanded a Workers’ Compensation Board decision that had denied benefits to a worker injured while...

Oregon Jaywalker Might Be Awarded Benefits Oregon Jaywalker Might Be Awarded Benefits
Dec 30, 2024

NC Court of Appeals Reverses $28.9 Million Tort Judgment

Insurer Had No Duty to Defend Intentional Tort Claim Against Co-Employee In Ortez v. Penn Nat’l Sec. Ins. Co., 2024 N.C. App. LEXIS 1017 (Dec. 17, 2024), the North Carolina...

NC Court of Appeals Reverses $28.9 Million Tort Judgment NC Court of Appeals Reverses $28.9 Million Tort Judgment

All Articles

ARCHIVE
2025
2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
Dec 6, 2021

Oregon Software Worker Fails to Establish Mental Disorder Claim

Illustrating the substantial barrier that many Oregon claimants contend has been erected via the combination of the state’s “clear and convincing evidence” standard and its “major contributing cause” requirement [see...

Oregon Software Worker Fails to Establish Mental Disorder Claim Oregon Software Worker Fails to Establish Mental Disorder Claim
Dec 2, 2021

Slowly Plods the Tortoise: Workcompwriter Celebrates 1,000 Posts

Launch the balloons! Break out the kazoos! Almost exactly ten years ago—on December 14, 2011—I posted my first offering on this website (to see it, click here). It discussed a...

Slowly Plods the Tortoise: Workcompwriter Celebrates 1,000 Posts Slowly Plods the Tortoise: Workcompwriter Celebrates 1,000 Posts
Nov 30, 2021

Full-Time, Seasonal Work Sinks Missouri Worker’s Second Injury Fund Claim

Where a Missouri employee was able to work on a full-time, seasonable basis following a second work-related injury, the Missouri Commission did not err in finding that the employee had...

Full-Time, Seasonal Work Sinks Missouri Worker’s Second Injury Fund Claim Full-Time, Seasonal Work Sinks Missouri Worker’s Second Injury Fund Claim
Nov 29, 2021

Oregon Employee’s Slip and Fall Claim in “Annex Parking Area” Not Barred by Going and Coming Rule

Construing the “parking lot” exception to the standard going and coming rule, an Oregon appellate court affirmed an award of benefits to a dental hygienist who sustained injuries when she...

Oregon Employee’s Slip and Fall Claim in “Annex Parking Area” Not Barred by Going and Coming Rule Oregon Employee’s Slip and Fall Claim in “Annex Parking Area” Not Barred by Going and Coming Rule
Nov 22, 2021

Waiting 19 Months to Seek Medical Treatment Proves Fatal to NY Claims Examiner’s Case

A New York appellate court affirmed a decision by the state’s Workers’ Compensation Board that denied benefits to a claims examiner who alleged that she had sustained injuries to her...

Waiting 19 Months to Seek Medical Treatment Proves Fatal to NY Claims Examiner’s Case Waiting 19 Months to Seek Medical Treatment Proves Fatal to NY Claims Examiner’s Case
Nov 16, 2021

Florida’s Second DCA Reverses Itself; Public Utility Was “Contractor” as to its Maintenance Efforts

Following Tampa Electric Company's motion for rehearing regarding its October 20, 2020 decision, in which Florida’s Second District Court of Appeal had held that the public utility company’s obligation to...

Florida’s Second DCA Reverses Itself; Public Utility Was “Contractor” as to its Maintenance Efforts Florida’s Second DCA Reverses Itself; Public Utility Was “Contractor” as to its Maintenance Efforts
Nov 11, 2021

Alaska Supreme Court Says Estate’s Wrongful Death Action is Barred by Exclusivity Even When Comp Benefits are Limited to Burial Expenses

Addressing a difficult factual pattern for the second time, the Supreme Court of Alaska affirmed a trial court’s decision that had granted summary judgment in favor of a general contractor...

Alaska Supreme Court Says Estate’s Wrongful Death Action is Barred by Exclusivity Even When Comp Benefits are Limited to Burial Expenses Alaska Supreme Court Says Estate’s Wrongful Death Action is Barred by Exclusivity Even When Comp Benefits are Limited to Burial Expenses
Nov 9, 2021

Battle of the Forms: NY Board Abuses Discretion in Failing to Reopen Claim

Where there was a clear discrepancy between the schedule loss of use (SLU) percentage indicated on the face of a surgeon’s C-4.3 form (Doctor’s Report of Maximum Medical Improvement/Permanent Impairment)...

Battle of the Forms: NY Board Abuses Discretion in Failing to Reopen Claim Battle of the Forms: NY Board Abuses Discretion in Failing to Reopen Claim
Nov 8, 2021

Utah High Court Hints that Intentional Tort Exception to Exclusivity Might Not Apply to Occupational Disease Claims

Observing that Utah has recognized the intentional tort exception to exclusivity in cases falling under the state’s Workers’ Compensation Act (WCA), but had not (yet) extended the exception to cases...

Utah High Court Hints that Intentional Tort Exception to Exclusivity Might Not Apply to Occupational Disease Claims Utah High Court Hints that Intentional Tort Exception to Exclusivity Might Not Apply to Occupational Disease Claims
Nov 2, 2021

Kentucky High Court Construes Mental Injury Statute and Affirms Award

Acknowledging that pursuant to KRS 342.0011(1), Kentucky does not allow recovery for work-related psychological injuries unless they are the “direct result” of a physical injury [emphasis added], the Supreme Court...

Kentucky High Court Construes Mental Injury Statute and Affirms Award Kentucky High Court Construes Mental Injury Statute and Affirms Award
Nov 1, 2021

Washington Supreme Court Says Staffing Agencies May Sometimes Be Liable for Safety Violations

Addressing an important issue within the modern workplace—whether in a joint employment context, staffing agencies may be liable employers for safety violations under the Washington Industrial Safety and Health Act...

Washington Supreme Court Says Staffing Agencies May Sometimes Be Liable for Safety Violations Washington Supreme Court Says Staffing Agencies May Sometimes Be Liable for Safety Violations
Oct 27, 2021

Going and Coming Rule Bars Recovery in Texas Plaintiff’s Vicarious Liability Action

Citing precedent from the Supreme Court of Texas, a lower appellate court held that the going and coming rule—a creature of the workers’ compensation setting—could be applied in plaintiff’s vicarious-liability...

Going and Coming Rule Bars Recovery in Texas Plaintiff’s Vicarious Liability Action Going and Coming Rule Bars Recovery in Texas Plaintiff’s Vicarious Liability Action

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.