Workers Comp

Future Workers’ Compensation Profitability Faces Obstacles

Workers’ compensation, the largest product segment in the U.S. commercial lines insurance sector, has experienced a recent profit renaissance, moving to a significant underwriting profit in 2015. However, long-term profitability in this traditionally more volatile line remains uncertain. Market competition …

Navigating California’s High Workers’ Comp Rates and Excessive Lawsuits

California employers routinely pay the highest insurance rates for workers’ compensation in the country. The increasing rates are due to several factors including rising medical costs and an aging workforce. In this environment, controlling costs and avoiding lawsuits can be …

How to Help Clients Make Workers’ Comp ‘Employee Friendly’

Both in the media and in general conversation, we often hear people refer to the workers’ compensation laws in various states as being very “employee friendly” because they feel that it’s easy for injured employees to get more than they …

Michigan Workers’ Comp Costs Drop, Employment Rises

Michigan has had some positive developments on the employment and workers’ compensation fronts lately and state officials have been eager to share the news. Workers’ comp costs for employers in Michigan have dropped by nearly 28 percent since 2011 and …

Donelon: Louisiana Workers’ Comp Rates to Drop in 2015

Louisiana Commissioner of Insurance Jim Donelon announced that rates for workers’ compensation insurance will decrease in Louisiana effective May 1. Donelon recently approved a 2.4 percent decrease in workers’ compensation loss costs submitted by the National Council on Compensation Insurance …

Is Ebola Compensable Under Workers’ Compensation?

Two tests must be satisfied before an illness or disease can be considered occupational and thus compensable under workers’ compensation. First, the illness or disease must be “occupational,” meaning that it arose out of the course and scope of employment. …

Employment Growth Leads to Workers’ Comp Benefit, Cost Uptick

Workers’ compensation benefits rose by 1.3 percent to $61.9 billion in 2012, while employer costs rose by 6.9 percent to $83.2 billion, according to a report released last month by the National Academy of Social Insurance (the Academy). “This growth …

Workers’ Compensation Market: Challenges Remain Despite Recent Improvements

The market for workers’ compensation insurance is in a recovery phase of the underwriting cycle after several years of poor results. In particular, premium rates continued to increase meaningfully through the first half of 2013, coupled with stabilizing loss trends …

Australian Court Rules Workers’ Comp Covers Sex Mishap

An Australian court has ruled that a bureaucrat who was injured while having sex on a business trip is eligible for workers’ compensation benefits. The Full Bench of the Federal Court ruled Dec. 13 in favor of the woman, who …

Calif. Workers’ Comp Reform Law at ‘Halftime’

Editor’s Note: This is the first in a series of articles to look at California’s workers’ compensation reform law in detail and what must be done to implement that law by Jan. 1, 2013. More articles in the series can …

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