Category: Case comment

Apr 16, 2026

Illinois Court Reverses Death Benefits Award

Wrong Legal Test Applied to Traveling Employee Reversing the circuit court and setting aside the Commission’s award of death benefits, the Appellate Court of Illinois, Fifth District, held that the...

Illinois Court Reverses Death Benefits Award Illinois Court Reverses Death Benefits Award
Apr 14, 2026

NH Supreme Court Affirms CAB’s Fact-Finding Discretion in Divided Decision on Workplace Death

Pulmonary Embolism Deemed Sole Cause; Water Aspiration Not a Substantial Factor In a divided, nonprecedential order, the New Hampshire Supreme Court affirmed the denial of death benefits where the Compensation...

NH Supreme Court Affirms CAB’s Fact-Finding Discretion in Divided Decision on Workplace Death NH Supreme Court Affirms CAB’s Fact-Finding Discretion in Divided Decision on Workplace Death
Apr 9, 2026

FL: Horizontal Immunity Requires a True Contractor–Subcontractor Relationship

In Teed v. Everest Campus East, LLC, 2026 Fla. App. LEXIS 2662 (Fla. 2d DCA Apr. 8, 2026), a Florida appellate court reversed summary judgment for a property manager, holding...

FL: Horizontal Immunity Requires a True Contractor–Subcontractor Relationship FL: Horizontal Immunity Requires a True Contractor–Subcontractor Relationship
Apr 8, 2026

Ohio Intentional Tort Claims: Pleading the Deliberate Intent Standard Under R.C. 2745.01

In Harris v. Tri-Tech Laboratories, LLC, 2026-Ohio-1152, 2026 Ohio App. LEXIS 1197 (Ohio Ct. App., 5th Dist. Mar. 31, 2026), the Fifth District affirmed dismissal of an employee’s intentional tort...

Ohio Intentional Tort Claims: Pleading the Deliberate Intent Standard Under R.C. 2745.01 Ohio Intentional Tort Claims: Pleading the Deliberate Intent Standard Under R.C. 2745.01
Apr 6, 2026

Ohio Supreme Court: R.C. 4123.56(F) Governs Summer TTD Claims of Nine-Month Employee

The Supreme Court of Ohio recently held that the Industrial Commission failed to properly apply R.C. 4123.56(F) when it awarded temporary total disability (TTD) compensation to an injured nine-month school...

Ohio Supreme Court: R.C. 4123.56(F) Governs Summer TTD Claims of Nine-Month Employee Ohio Supreme Court: R.C. 4123.56(F) Governs Summer TTD Claims of Nine-Month Employee
Apr 3, 2026

AL Supreme Court Bars Tort Claim Where Worker Accepted Comp Benefits

AL Supreme Court Bars Tort Claim Where Worker Accepted Comp Benefits In Duke v. Walmart, Inc., 2026 Ala. LEXIS 31 (Ala. Mar. 20, 2026), the Supreme Court of Alabama affirmed...

AL Supreme Court Bars Tort Claim Where Worker Accepted Comp Benefits AL Supreme Court Bars Tort Claim Where Worker Accepted Comp Benefits
Apr 2, 2026

Texas Court Affirms $4.5 Million Verdict for Worker Injured During “Try-Out” Period

Court Finds Jury Question on Contract Formation In Antonio Munoz Aserradero, LLC v. Thomas, 2026 Tex. App. LEXIS 2261 (Tex. App.—Tyler Mar. 11, 2026), the Court of Appeals of Texas,...

Texas Court Affirms $4.5 Million Verdict for Worker Injured During “Try-Out” Period Texas Court Affirms $4.5 Million Verdict for Worker Injured During “Try-Out” Period
Mar 31, 2026

PA Court: Medical Supplier Is Not a “Health Care Provider” Under State’s Act

The Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania recently held that Scomed Supply, a retail seller of medical supplies, is not a “health care provider” as defined by Section 109 of the Pennsylvania...

PA Court: Medical Supplier Is Not a “Health Care Provider” Under State’s Act PA Court: Medical Supplier Is Not a “Health Care Provider” Under State’s Act
Mar 27, 2026

PA Sole Proprietor Need Not Notify Insurer Within 120 Days Under Section 311

State’s Highest Court Reverses Lower Court’s Ruling A sole proprietor need not notify his workers’ compensation insurer within 120 days of injury to preserve a claim under Section 311 of...

PA Sole Proprietor Need Not Notify Insurer Within 120 Days Under Section 311 PA Sole Proprietor Need Not Notify Insurer Within 120 Days Under Section 311
Mar 17, 2026

Up-the-Ladder Immunity Runs Only One Direction

Federal Court in Kentucky Says Common Carrier’s Defense Fails A federal court applying Kentucky workers’ compensation law recently rejected a motor carrier’s claim that it was entitled to up-the-ladder immunity...

Up-the-Ladder Immunity Runs Only One Direction Up-the-Ladder Immunity Runs Only One Direction
Mar 16, 2026

Federal Court (E.D. Ky.) Rejects Workers’ Comp Retaliation Claim Despite Sympathetic Facts

In Spade v. Appalachian Regional Healthcare, Inc., 2026 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 49799 (E.D. Ky. Mar. 11, 2026), the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky granted summary...

Federal Court (E.D. Ky.) Rejects Workers’ Comp Retaliation Claim Despite Sympathetic Facts Federal Court (E.D. Ky.) Rejects Workers’ Comp Retaliation Claim Despite Sympathetic Facts
Mar 12, 2026

Virginia Court Counts Subcontractor Workers in Coverage Threshold Case

Small contractors sometimes believe that keeping their payroll lean — two employees instead of three — will keep them outside the reach of the workers’ compensation statute. But the Virginia...

Virginia Court Counts Subcontractor Workers in Coverage Threshold Case Virginia Court Counts Subcontractor Workers in Coverage Threshold Case