Driscoll Agrees with the Larson Standard, Then Affirms Without Needing It The Iowa Court of Appeals has affirmed the denial of workers’ compensation benefits to a city employee who developed...
Issue Commentary: Iowa Looks at Vaccine‑Injury Compensability—and Leaves the Real Question for Another Day Issue Commentary: Iowa Looks at Vaccine‑Injury Compensability—and Leaves the Real Question for Another DayDriscoll Agrees with the Larson Standard, Then Affirms Without Needing It The Iowa Court of Appeals has affirmed the denial of workers’ compensation benefits to a city employee who developed...
Issue Commentary: Iowa Looks at Vaccine‑Injury Compensability—and Leaves the Real Question for Another Day Issue Commentary: Iowa Looks at Vaccine‑Injury Compensability—and Leaves the Real Question for Another DayIn *Sairafianpour v. Loudoun County Public Schools*, 2026 Va. App. LEXIS 430 (Aug. 11, 2026), the Court of Appeals of Virginia affirmed a Workers’ Compensation Commission decision awarding medical benefits...
VA: One Basket, Two Injuries—and Only One Compensable Accident VA: One Basket, Two Injuries—and Only One Compensable AccidentIn Granite School District v. Young, 2026 UT 29, 2026 Utah LEXIS 113 (Aug. 13, 2026), the Utah Supreme Court affirmed an award of permanent total disability benefits to a...
UT Supreme Court Affirms PTD Award—and Rejects Employer’s Claim to Employee’s Debt-Collection Settlement UT Supreme Court Affirms PTD Award—and Rejects Employer’s Claim to Employee’s Debt-Collection SettlementApplying 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 HandIn Berkebile Towing & Recovery v. Workers’ Comp. Appeal Bd. (Harr), 2021 Pa. Commw. LEXIS 427 (May 10, 2021), the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania affirmed a decision by the state’s...
PA Tow Truck Operator Was Employee, Not an Independent Contractor PA Tow Truck Operator Was Employee, Not an Independent ContractorIn an unpublished decision, an Arizona appellate court affirmed a determination by the state’s Industrial Commission that found an employee’s workers’ compensation claim was not compensable because the employee’s injuries...
Arizona Employee’s Idiopathic Fall is Not Compensable Arizona Employee’s Idiopathic Fall is Not CompensableThe Supreme Court of Kentucky, construing the state’s agricultural employee exemption [see Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§ 342.650(5) and 342.0011(18)], reversed a split decision of the state’s Court of Appeals...
KY Supreme Court Construes Agricultural Employee Exemption KY Supreme Court Construes Agricultural Employee ExemptionA New York appellate court held that while the state’s Workers’ Compensation Board was within its discretion when it found an injured worker had violated N.Y. Workers’ Comp. Law §...
NY Claimant Should Not Have Been Permanently Barred From Indemnity Benefits NY Claimant Should Not Have Been Permanently Barred From Indemnity BenefitsPanel Says District Court Abused Discretion Last Wednesday, in California Trucking Ass’n v. Bonta, 2021 U.S. App. LEXIS 12629 (9th Cir., Apr. 28, 2021), a divided panel of the Ninth...
Split 9th Circuit Panel Overturns Injunction Favoring Golden State Truckers Split 9th Circuit Panel Overturns Injunction Favoring Golden State TruckersProviding a casebook-like discussion of the issues related to a workers’ compensation insurer’s intervention in a third-party civil action, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri held...
Federal Court Allows Comp Insurer to Intervene in Injured Worker’s Third-Party Action Federal Court Allows Comp Insurer to Intervene in Injured Worker’s Third-Party Action
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