Category: Case comment

Jun 2, 2014

Wyoming Court Says Division’s Rule Setting Arbitrary Limitation on TTD Benefits Is Invalid

Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 27–14–404 limits awards of TTD benefits to twenty-four months, but gives the Wyoming Worker’s Safety and Compensation Division (the Division) discretionary authority to extend the time...

Wyoming Court Says Division’s Rule Setting Arbitrary Limitation on TTD Benefits Is Invalid Wyoming Court Says Division’s Rule Setting Arbitrary Limitation on TTD Benefits Is Invalid
May 29, 2014

Virginia Court: “Firefighter’s Presumption” Requires Showing of Entitlement to Some Form of Economic Indemnity

Virginia, like a number of other states [see the discussion in Larson’s Workers’ Compensation Law, § 52.07], has a special presumption favoring firefighters (and police officers) as to death or...

Virginia Court: “Firefighter’s Presumption” Requires Showing of Entitlement to Some Form of Economic Indemnity Virginia Court: “Firefighter’s Presumption” Requires Showing of Entitlement to Some Form of Economic Indemnity
May 21, 2014

New Mexico Court Orders Employer to Reimburse Worker For Medical Marijuana

In what appears to be a case of first impression for any state appellate court, a New Mexico appellate court, in Vialpando v. Ben’s Automotive Servs., 2014 N.M. App. LEXIS...

New Mexico Court Orders Employer to Reimburse Worker For Medical Marijuana New Mexico Court Orders Employer to Reimburse Worker For Medical Marijuana
May 20, 2014

Nebraska Extends Heightened “Heart Attack” Causation Standard to Blood Clot and Embolism

Due to the difficulties in attributing the cause of a heart attack to the claimant’s work, a number of states, including Nebraska, require the employee or the employee’s dependents to...

Nebraska Extends Heightened “Heart Attack” Causation Standard to Blood Clot and Embolism Nebraska Extends Heightened “Heart Attack” Causation Standard to Blood Clot and Embolism
May 5, 2014

After Florida’s Adoption of Daubert Rule, Physician’s Opinion as to Cause of Employee’s Placental Abruption Was Inadmissible

Noting that with its 2013 amendment to § 90.702, Fla. Stat., the Florida legislature had clearly jettisoned both “the Frye test” and the “pure opinion” rule [Flannagan v. State, 625...

After Florida’s Adoption of Daubert Rule, Physician’s Opinion as to Cause of Employee’s Placental Abruption Was Inadmissible After Florida’s Adoption of Daubert Rule, Physician’s Opinion as to Cause of Employee’s Placental Abruption Was Inadmissible
May 2, 2014

Arkansas Court Affirms Denial of Death Benefits Related to Drug Overdose

An Arkansas appellate court recently affirmed a denial of workers’ compensation death benefits to the surviving beneficiaries of a deceased worker who overdosed on methadone in 2009 while being treated...

Arkansas Court Affirms Denial of Death Benefits Related to Drug Overdose Arkansas Court Affirms Denial of Death Benefits Related to Drug Overdose
Apr 22, 2014

Mississippi Executive’s Survivors Awarded Death Benefits in Spite of His Decision Not to Secure Required Coverage for Firm

The affirmative decision by the managing partner and president of a CPA firm not to secure workers’ compensation coverage for the firm, in spite of the fact that the firm...

Mississippi Executive’s Survivors Awarded Death Benefits in Spite of His Decision Not to Secure Required Coverage for Firm Mississippi Executive’s Survivors Awarded Death Benefits in Spite of His Decision Not to Secure Required Coverage for Firm
Apr 15, 2014

Nebraska Retail Worker Awarded TTD Benefits and Continued Medical Care to Deal With PTSD and Drug Dependency Following Work-Related Shooting

In a recent case with rather bizarre underlying facts, the Supreme Court of Nebraska affirmed an award of temporary total disability benefits for an employee’s PTSD condition and inpatient treatment...

Nebraska Retail Worker Awarded TTD Benefits and Continued Medical Care to Deal With PTSD and Drug Dependency Following Work-Related Shooting Nebraska Retail Worker Awarded TTD Benefits and Continued Medical Care to Deal With PTSD and Drug Dependency Following Work-Related Shooting
Mar 31, 2014

New York: Vehicle Owner Shielded from Contribution By Exclusive Remedy Defense

Answering a question certified to it by the U.S. Court of Appeals (2nd Circuit), the Court of Appeals of New York, in Isabella v. Koubek, 2014 N.Y. LEXIS 569 (Mar....

New York: Vehicle Owner Shielded from Contribution By Exclusive Remedy Defense New York: Vehicle Owner Shielded from Contribution By Exclusive Remedy Defense
Mar 28, 2014

What A Difference a Word Makes: Illinois Court Remands Case Because Settlement Agreement Ambiguous

Characterizing the language of a workers’ compensation settlement agreement that included a provision for a Medicare set-aside annuity (MSA) as “sloppy” and “imprecise” and quoting novelist Vladimir Nabokov’s advice to...

What A Difference a Word Makes: Illinois Court Remands Case Because Settlement Agreement Ambiguous What A Difference a Word Makes: Illinois Court Remands Case Because Settlement Agreement Ambiguous
Mar 21, 2014

Virginia Court Requires Insurer to Provide Transportation to Doctor’s Office In Spite of Fact That It Already Paid to Modify Vehicle

It is one thing to modify an injured employee’s vehicle so as to accommodate his wheelchair or scooter. It is quite another to provide the employee with necessary transportation assistance...

Virginia Court Requires Insurer to Provide Transportation to Doctor’s Office In Spite of Fact That It Already Paid to Modify Vehicle Virginia Court Requires Insurer to Provide Transportation to Doctor’s Office In Spite of Fact That It Already Paid to Modify Vehicle
Mar 13, 2014

PA Court Refuses to Consider Independent, Board-Certified MD’s Opinion Because of Her Practice “Mix”

When is the opinion of a board-certified (occupational medicine) physician, with years of experience and special training in the utilization of the AMA Guides, and who has performed numerous Impairment...

PA Court Refuses to Consider Independent, Board-Certified MD’s Opinion Because of Her Practice “Mix” PA Court Refuses to Consider Independent, Board-Certified MD’s Opinion Because of Her Practice “Mix”