Category: Case comment

Jul 16, 2026

Personal Comfort Doctrine Reaches a Formal, Unpaid Break

PA Court Finds a 15-Minute Break’s Brevity Outweighs Its Formality The Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania recently affirmed an award of workers’ compensation benefits to a pharmacy technician struck by a...

Personal Comfort Doctrine Reaches a Formal, Unpaid Break Personal Comfort Doctrine Reaches a Formal, Unpaid Break
Jul 14, 2026

Trucker’s Retaliation Claim Runs Aground in His Own Hay Field

Idaho Federal Court Finds Surveillance and a Full-Duty Release Defeat Workers' Comp Retaliatory Discharge Claim The U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho recently granted summary judgment for a...

Trucker’s Retaliation Claim Runs Aground in His Own Hay Field Trucker’s Retaliation Claim Runs Aground in His Own Hay Field
Jul 13, 2026

FL High Court Rejects Motive Requirement for Workplace Assault Claims

Risk-Exposure Evidence Alone Can Establish the Causal Link, Justices Hold Last Thursday, In a unanimous decision authored by Justice Muñiz, the Supreme Court of Florida held that a workplace assault...

FL High Court Rejects Motive Requirement for Workplace Assault Claims FL High Court Rejects Motive Requirement for Workplace Assault Claims
Jul 8, 2026

KY Court Revives Tort Claims From Mayfield Candle Factory Tornado Deaths

Supervisors Who Allegedly Blocked Exits Fell Outside the Workers’ Comp Act’s Exclusive Remedy The Kentucky Court of Appeals has revived tort claims brought by survivors of the December 2021 tornado...

KY Court Revives Tort Claims From Mayfield Candle Factory Tornado Deaths KY Court Revives Tort Claims From Mayfield Candle Factory Tornado Deaths
Jul 7, 2026

Progressive-Injury Diagnosis, Not Initial Symptoms, Starts the Limitations Clock

MS Court Rejects Time-Bar Finding in Casino Dealer’s Shoulder Injury Case The Mississippi Court of Appeals has reversed a Workers’ Compensation Commission order dismissing a casino dealer’s shoulder injury claim...

Progressive-Injury Diagnosis, Not Initial Symptoms, Starts the Limitations Clock Progressive-Injury Diagnosis, Not Initial Symptoms, Starts the Limitations Clock
Jul 6, 2026

The “Substantially Certain” Standard Survives Another Truck Wreck

Texas Court Finds Repeated Warnings About Vehicle Problems Insufficient to Avoid Exclusive Remedy Bar A Texas appellate court recently affirmed summary judgment for an employer on an intentional-tort claim, holding...

The “Substantially Certain” Standard Survives Another Truck Wreck The “Substantially Certain” Standard Survives Another Truck Wreck
Jul 1, 2026

LA Supreme Court: Fraud Forfeiture Runs Forward From Misrepresentation, Not Back to the Accident

High Court Overrules Fifth Circuit, Rejects Retroactive Application of Section 1208 On Monday, the Louisiana Supreme Court held that an employee who commits fraud under La. R.S. 23:1208 forfeits workers’...

LA Supreme Court: Fraud Forfeiture Runs Forward From Misrepresentation, Not Back to the Accident LA Supreme Court: Fraud Forfeiture Runs Forward From Misrepresentation, Not Back to the Accident
Jun 30, 2026

TX Court Rejects Death Benefits Claim Under “Coming and Going” Analysis

Company Vehicle and Overtime Work Insufficient to Establish Course and Scope The Court of Appeals of Texas, Eleventh District, affirmed summary judgment against a deceased employee’s beneficiaries, holding that an...

TX Court Rejects Death Benefits Claim Under “Coming and Going” Analysis TX Court Rejects Death Benefits Claim Under “Coming and Going” Analysis
Jun 29, 2026

North Dakota Subrogation: Having Cake and Eating it Too

ND Supreme Court Holds Judicial Estoppel is No Bar to WSI's Subrogation Interest The Supreme Court of North Dakota has affirmed a subrogation order requiring a workers’ compensation claimant to...

North Dakota Subrogation: Having Cake and Eating it Too North Dakota Subrogation: Having Cake and Eating it Too
Jun 25, 2026

Ohio’s Death Benefits Statute Limits Dependent Adult Child to $3,000 After Father’s Work-Related Killing

Supreme Court Holds “Prospective Dependent” Award Forecloses Weekly-Benefit Analysis Under R.C. 4123.59(D) Yesterday, the Supreme Court of Ohio vacated a lower court’s writ of mandamus and held that once the...

Ohio’s Death Benefits Statute Limits Dependent Adult Child to $3,000 After Father’s Work-Related Killing Ohio’s Death Benefits Statute Limits Dependent Adult Child to $3,000 After Father’s Work-Related Killing
Jun 23, 2026

GA: “Prominent” Posting of MD List Requires More Than Accessibility

Court Reverses Where Employer’s Physician List Was Taped Inside a Locked Tool Box Lid The Court of Appeals of Georgia reversed a superior court order affirming denial of a workers’...

GA: “Prominent” Posting of MD List Requires More Than Accessibility GA: “Prominent” Posting of MD List Requires More Than Accessibility
Jun 22, 2026

PA Supreme Court Narrows Workers’ Comp Anti-Referral Provision

Physician-Owned Pharmacy Entitled to Reimbursement Despite Self-Referral The Pennsylvania Supreme Court recently reversed the state’s Commonwealth Court and held that the Workers’ Compensation Act's Anti-Referral Provision does not bar payment...

PA Supreme Court Narrows Workers’ Comp Anti-Referral Provision PA Supreme Court Narrows Workers’ Comp Anti-Referral Provision