Many disputes over physician choice in workers’ compensation arise when an injured worker seeks treatment from a doctor of his or her own choosing. Hayes v. Christian Retirement Homes, Inc.,...
Iowa Supreme Court: Employer Not Bound by Opinion of Its Own Treating Physician Iowa Supreme Court: Employer Not Bound by Opinion of Its Own Treating PhysicianCourt Applies Massachusetts Law to Maine Injury, Rejects Immunity Defense in Multi-State Staffing Arrangement A New Hampshire contractor that likely would have enjoyed workers’ compensation immunity under Maine law lost...
Maine Supreme Court: Massachusetts Law Strips Staffing Client of Workers’ Compensation Immunity Maine Supreme Court: Massachusetts Law Strips Staffing Client of Workers’ Compensation ImmunityNew York’s Court of Appeals recently affirmed an Appellate Division order blocking defendants in a personal injury action from using a Workers’ Compensation Board causation determination as collateral estoppel, holding...
NY High Court Holds JIWA Bars Collateral Estoppel Effect of Pre-Enactment Workers’ Comp Decisions NY High Court Holds JIWA Bars Collateral Estoppel Effect of Pre-Enactment Workers’ Comp DecisionsIn a case involving a Nebraska truck driver-farm laborer whose treatment for metastatic cancer was allegedly postponed by complications associated with a compensable hip injury and its resulting treatment, the...
Nebraska Supreme Court Affirms Denial of Death Benefits Where Work Injury Delayed Cancer Treatment Nebraska Supreme Court Affirms Denial of Death Benefits Where Work Injury Delayed Cancer TreatmentApplying Alabama’s intentional injury exception to the exclusive remedy rule, the Supreme Court of Alabama affirmed a trial court’s decision granting two co-employee defendants summary judgment in a civil action...
Intentional Injury Action Against Co-Employees Fails Under Alabama’s Substantially Certain Rule Intentional Injury Action Against Co-Employees Fails Under Alabama’s Substantially Certain RuleConstruing the state’s special statute limiting the compensability of heart attacks, stroke, and physical injury caused by mental stimulus, a divided Supreme Court of North Dakota reversed an ALJ’s decision...
ND High Court Stresses That Heart Attacks Only Compensable When Caused by Unusual Stress ND High Court Stresses That Heart Attacks Only Compensable When Caused by Unusual StressShowing just how serious New York courts take the issue of ex parte communications between counsel and medical experts, a New York appellate court recently affirmed an order by the...
Ex Parte Communications Sink NY Death Benefits Claim Ex Parte Communications Sink NY Death Benefits ClaimA New York appellate court affirmed a decision by the state’s Workers’ Compensation Board that not only imposed the mandatory penalty rescinding the claimant’s award of workers’ compensation benefits, but...
NY Claimant’s Failure to Disclose Gambling Activities Constitutes § 114-a Violation NY Claimant’s Failure to Disclose Gambling Activities Constitutes § 114-a ViolationIn an appeal and cross-appeal from an order granting sanctions against an insurer for failure to provide orthopedic treatment to an injured worker, a Florida appellate court held that a...
$15K “Fine” Against Florida Comp Insurer Not Supported by Evidence $15K “Fine” Against Florida Comp Insurer Not Supported by EvidenceDecision is Consistent with Majority Rule In a holding that is consistent with the dominant rule among American jurisdictions, a Pennsylvania appellate court recently affirmed a Board decision that awarded...
PA Court: Carefully Planned Suicide Still Compensable PA Court: Carefully Planned Suicide Still CompensableApplying Arkansas’ relatively narrow employment-related rule, which excludes compensation for an injury which was inflicted upon the employee at a time when employment services were not being performed [see Ark....
Arkansas Horse-Racing Employee’s Leap From Burning Stable Was Not Compensable Arkansas Horse-Racing Employee’s Leap From Burning Stable Was Not CompensableObserving that in determining a claimant’s loss of wage-earning capacity, the New York Workers’ Compensation Board may consider claimant’s functional capabilities, as well as vocational issues (claimant’s age, education, training,...
“Odd-Lot”-Like Theory Works in Reverse to Limit Wage Loss Award for NY Claimant “Odd-Lot”-Like Theory Works in Reverse to Limit Wage Loss Award for NY ClaimantIn a decision that illustrates the tremendous breadth of discretion allowed to the New York Workers’ Compensation Board, a state appellate court affirmed a Board decision—in spite of findings by...
NY Board Has Broad Discretion in Reviewing § 114-a Issues NY Board Has Broad Discretion in Reviewing § 114-a IssuesIn a divided decision, the Supreme Court of Wisconsin affirmed a finding by the state’s Court of Appeals that the exclusive remedy provisions of the Wisconsin Workers’ Compensation Act barred...
Employee’s Action Against Employer’s Comp Insurer For Self-Inflicted Gunshot Wound Barred by Exclusivity Employee’s Action Against Employer’s Comp Insurer For Self-Inflicted Gunshot Wound Barred by ExclusivityEmployment Contract Formed In Illinois In Spite of Contingencies Required for First Assignment in Indiana In an unpublished decision, an Illinois appellate court affirmed a decision by the state’s Workers’...
Staffing Company’s Should Not Conflate Employment Contract and Specific Assignment Staffing Company’s Should Not Conflate Employment Contract and Specific AssignmentIllustrating the important point that a hearing officer or judge must stick to those matters that are specifically at issue, and not wander off to determine other questions that might...
NY Court Says Law Judge Must Limit Decision to Actual Issue at Hand NY Court Says Law Judge Must Limit Decision to Actual Issue at Hand
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