Acknowledging that N.Y. Work. Comp. Law § 21 provides a presumption of compensability where the decedent’s initial injury occurs while he or she at work, a New York appellate court...
New York Deputy Sheriff’s Fatal Heart Attack at Home is Not Compensable New York Deputy Sheriff’s Fatal Heart Attack at Home is Not CompensableThe Court of Appeals of Virginia recently reiterated that in order to defeat a claim for workers’ compensation benefits, it is not enough to show that an employee was intoxicated...
Virginia Employer Proves Employee Was Intoxicated, But Still Loses Case Virginia Employer Proves Employee Was Intoxicated, But Still Loses CaseConnecticut, like a host of other states, has a special presumption that aids police officers (and some other first responders) who pass a physical exam at the time of hiring...
Connecticut Police Officer’s Failure to File Timely Hypertension Claim No Bar to Subsequent Claim Related to Myocardial Infarction Connecticut Police Officer’s Failure to File Timely Hypertension Claim No Bar to Subsequent Claim Related to Myocardial InfarctionOn March 11, 2016, Virginia governor McAuliffe signed into law a bill extending the state’s narrow presumption of compensability [Va. Code Ann. § 65.2–105] to cover most claims where the...
Virginia Legislature Instructs Appellate Court: Deceased Employees Really Are “Physically Unable to Testify” Virginia Legislature Instructs Appellate Court: Deceased Employees Really Are “Physically Unable to Testify”Valley 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’ PresumptionVirginia, 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 IndemnityIn a decision showing just how strongly the state’s workers’ compensation system separates the “arising out of” the employment component of the compensation formula from the “course of employment” component,...
Idaho Shoe Lace Causes Compensable Herniated Disc Idaho Shoe Lace Causes Compensable Herniated DiscIn the determination of any contested workers’ compensation claim, Hawaii favors the claimant with a presumption of compensability [HRS § 386–85]. Construing that presumption, a state appellate court recently affirmed...
Hawaii: Employer Successfully Rebuts Presumption of Compensability Related to Chain-Smoking, Hypertensive Employee Hawaii: Employer Successfully Rebuts Presumption of Compensability Related to Chain-Smoking, Hypertensive EmployeeA New York appellate court recently affirmed a decision by the state’s Workers’ Compensation Board that ruled the death of an employee was not causally related to his employment as...
New York: Mechanic’s Fatal Heart Attack Sustained on Employer’s Premises, But After Work Shift, Held Not Compensable New York: Mechanic’s Fatal Heart Attack Sustained on Employer’s Premises, But After Work Shift, Held Not CompensableThe Court of Appeals of Kentucky recently affirmed an award of death benefits to the administratrix of the estate of a deceased convenience store worker (“Pendleton”) who was found after...
Kentucky: Convenience Store Worker’s Access to Premises and Security Codes Provides Causal Link Between His Murder and the Employment Kentucky: Convenience Store Worker’s Access to Premises and Security Codes Provides Causal Link Between His Murder and the EmploymentA New York appellate court recently agreed with the state’s Workers’ Compensation Board that the death of a grocery store employee was causally related to the employment where evidence showed...
New York: Extraordinary Duties at Grocery Store on Super Bowl Sunday Mean Employee’s Death is Compensable New York: Extraordinary Duties at Grocery Store on Super Bowl Sunday Mean Employee’s Death is CompensableIn the great majority of jurisdictions, voluntary intoxication that renders an employee incapable of performing his or her work is a departure from the course of employment sufficient to defeat...
In Spite of Statutory Presumptions, Proof of Positive Drug Test May Not Be Enough to Defeat Claims In Spite of Statutory Presumptions, Proof of Positive Drug Test May Not Be Enough to Defeat Claims