Did Intermediate Appellate Court Abide by Supreme Court’s Remand Instructions? In a case that has ricocheted from a Washington state trial court to an intermediate appellate court and from that appellate court...
Washington Appellate Court Again Says “Tasered Trooper’s” Tort Action Not Barred by Exclusive Remedy Defense Washington Appellate Court Again Says “Tasered Trooper’s” Tort Action Not Barred by Exclusive Remedy DefenseThe widow of a worker who was diagnosed with mesothelioma some 40 years after his exposure to asbestos may not sue the former employer to recover damages since her exclusive...
Widow of Illinois Mesothelioma Victim Finds Herself with Catch–22 Widow of Illinois Mesothelioma Victim Finds Herself with Catch–22In a truly bizarre case, a divided Supreme Court of Pennsylvania held that the state’s Commonwealth Court erred in finding that a claimant met her burden of proving that she...
Divided PA Supreme Court Says Mother/Caregiver’s Injuries at Hands of Knife-Wielding Son Were Not Compensable Divided PA Supreme Court Says Mother/Caregiver’s Injuries at Hands of Knife-Wielding Son Were Not CompensableA retaliatory discharge action filed under 820 Ill. Comp. Stat. Ann. § 305/4(h)—part of the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act—may not be removed from an Illinois trial court to a federal...
Illinois Retaliatory Discharge Claim May Not Be Removed to Federal Court Illinois Retaliatory Discharge Claim May Not Be Removed to Federal CourtAn Iowa sole proprietor, who worked alongside his employees, was nevertheless still an employer—and not a co-employee—for purposes of the Iowa Workers’ Compensation Act, held a state appellate court [Mullen...
Iowa Sole Proprietor Working Alongside Others is Still Employer For Purposes of Workers’ Compensation Exclusive Remedy Defense Iowa Sole Proprietor Working Alongside Others is Still Employer For Purposes of Workers’ Compensation Exclusive Remedy DefenseA New York appellate court affirmed a finding by the state’s Workers’ Compensation Board that a former critical care nurse suffered a work-related 90 percent loss of wage-earning capacity where...
New York Nurse Awarded 90% Loss of Wage-Earning Capacity Due to Allergic Reaction to Hand Sanitizer New York Nurse Awarded 90% Loss of Wage-Earning Capacity Due to Allergic Reaction to Hand SanitizerWhile the workers’ compensation laws of virtually all states include illegally employed persons—e.g., minors and undocumented “aliens”—within the term “employee,” Wyoming’s definition is more restrictive. Only those aliens whom the...
Wyoming Employer Need Not Keep Immigration Documentation on Hand Wyoming Employer Need Not Keep Immigration Documentation on HandAdopting the “substantial and motivating factor” test to determine if an employer’s decision to terminate a worker’s employment was retaliatory, the Supreme Court of Wyoming reversed a trial court order...
Wyoming High Court Adopts “Substantial and Motivating Factor” Test to Judge Retaliatory Discharge Claim Wyoming High Court Adopts “Substantial and Motivating Factor” Test to Judge Retaliatory Discharge ClaimLast Friday, a deeply divided Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania struck down as unconstitutional the requirement, codified in § 306(a.2) of the state’s Workers’ Compensation Act [77 Pa. Stat. Ann. §...
PA Court Strikes Down Use of AMA Guides, 6th Ed. PA Court Strikes Down Use of AMA Guides, 6th Ed.An Ohio appellate court has again concluded that the doctrine of voluntary abandonment does not bar an injured worker’s entitlement to TTD compensation in a case involving a pre-injury infraction—here,...
Ohio Court Again Says TTD Benefits Unaffected by Pre-Injury Drug Use Undetected Until After Injury Ohio Court Again Says TTD Benefits Unaffected by Pre-Injury Drug Use Undetected Until After InjuryValley fever is not a “respiratory disease” for purposes of the state of Washington’s firefighters presumption [Wash. Rev. Code § 51.21.185(1)]; it is instead an “infectious disease” and is not...
Washington High Court Says Valley Fever is Not Covered by Firefighters’ Presumption Washington High Court Says Valley Fever is Not Covered by Firefighters’ PresumptionWhere an injured employee had but one employer on the date of injury, the employee’s average weekly wage must be computed by considering only the wages from that employer; “concurrent”...
Kentucky High Court Says “Concurrent” Wages May Only Be Considered for AWW Computation if Concurrent Employment Existed on DOI Kentucky High Court Says “Concurrent” Wages May Only Be Considered for AWW Computation if Concurrent Employment Existed on DOI