Yesterday (October 2, 2017), a cadre of 29 Pennsylvania legislators introduced a bill—House Bill 1840—that would require physicians to apply the methodology set forth in “the sixth edition” of the...
PA Legislative Bill Would Require Use of 6th Edition of AMA Guides PA Legislative Bill Would Require Use of 6th Edition of AMA GuidesIn Young v. Station 27, Inc., 2017 OK 68, 2017 Okla. LEXIS 69 (Sept. 12, 2017), the Supreme Court of Oklahoma finessed the constitutionality of the state’s current retaliatory discharge...
Oklahoma High Court Finesses Constitutional Issue as to Retaliatory Discharge Statute Oklahoma High Court Finesses Constitutional Issue as to Retaliatory Discharge StatuteIn a case that highlights some of the bitter infighting going on in Illinois regarding the state’s workers’ compensation system, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a decision of...
Seventh Circuit Sustains Illinois Governor’s Action in Refusing to Reappoint Arbitrators Seventh Circuit Sustains Illinois Governor’s Action in Refusing to Reappoint ArbitratorsSaves Hospital $600,000 in Lost Reimbursement Stressing that a rule or regulation adopted by an administrative agency can only be given binding legal effect if the agency complies with the...
Kansas Court Strikes Words “Accidentally” Introduced into Medical Fee Schedule Kansas Court Strikes Words “Accidentally” Introduced into Medical Fee ScheduleIn a case of first impression, the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a U.S. District Court decision that had dismissed a widow’s civil action seeking a declaration that N.D....
Eighth Circuit: North Dakota Need Not Substitute Colorado’s More Generous Death Benefits Rules for Claim Filed in the Peace Garden State Eighth Circuit: North Dakota Need Not Substitute Colorado’s More Generous Death Benefits Rules for Claim Filed in the Peace Garden StateA Florida appellate court held that misrepresentations regarding a claimant’s medical history can disqualify the claimant from receiving benefits even if there is no direct link between the allegedly false...
Florida MDs Have No Duty to “Cross-Examine” Workers’ Comp Claimant Regarding Known Misrepresentations Florida MDs Have No Duty to “Cross-Examine” Workers’ Comp Claimant Regarding Known MisrepresentationsYesterday, in a divided decision, the Court of Appeals of Mississippi reversed a decision by the state’s Workers’ Compensation Commission (“Commission”) that had denied an employee’s workers’ compensation claim because...
Mississippi Commission’s Decision to Deny Claim Because of Employee’s “Refusal” to Take Breathalyzer Test Cannot Stand Mississippi Commission’s Decision to Deny Claim Because of Employee’s “Refusal” to Take Breathalyzer Test Cannot StandHighlighting the fine line that exists, on the one hand, between a party’s attempt to relitigate an issue already decided and, on the other hand, a party’s contention that a...
Maine High Court Blocks Employer’s Attempt to Challenge Continued Existence of Disability Maine High Court Blocks Employer’s Attempt to Challenge Continued Existence of DisabilityThe Missouri Court of Appeals recently affirmed a decision of that state’s Labor and Industrial Relations Commission that had denied workers’ compensation benefits to a tire shop employee who sustained...
Missouri Court Stresses Importance of Injury “by Accident” in Recent Horseplay Case Missouri Court Stresses Importance of Injury “by Accident” in Recent Horseplay CaseAlthough crash data indicated not only that a Mississippi patrol officer increased his speed steadlily from 53 mph to more than 90 mph in the twelve seconds prior to an...
Mississippi Officer’s High Speed Driving, Without Seatbelt, Did Not Amount to Willful Intent To Injure Himself Mississippi Officer’s High Speed Driving, Without Seatbelt, Did Not Amount to Willful Intent To Injure HimselfLast Thursday, in a split decision, the Supreme Court of Louisiana held that the choice of pharmacy in a workers’ compensation case belongs to the employer, and not the employee...
Louisiana High Court Says Employer—Not Injured Employee—Has Right to Choose Pharmacy Louisiana High Court Says Employer—Not Injured Employee—Has Right to Choose PharmacyIn a divided decision, the Supreme Court of Minnesota held that an injured undocumented worker had raised a genuine issue of material fact as to whether an employer had discharged...
Rock and a Hard Place: Placing Injured Undocumented Worker on Unpaid Leave May Be Retaliatory Discharge Rock and a Hard Place: Placing Injured Undocumented Worker on Unpaid Leave May Be Retaliatory Discharge