Latest Workers' Compensation Headlines
All the headlines from our Workers' Compensation Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Carriers ‘Uncertain’ About California Workers’ Comp Reform
Dec 19 2012 // Editor’s Note: This is the fourth in a series of articles to look at California’s workers’ compensation reform law, which takes effect Jan. 1, 2013. Insurance carriers, along with the many stakeholders...
New Jersey OKs 8.3% Hike in Workers’ Comp Rates
Dec 18 2012 // The New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance has approved an 8.3 percent increase in manual rates and rating values applicable to New Jersey workers compensation and employers liability insurance effective January 1,...
Texas Food Processing Companies Fined $134K for Alleged Safety Violations
Dec 18 2012 // Two Fort Worth, Texas-based companies have been cited by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration for multiple serious safety and health violations. Penalties total $134,000...
Tennessee Business Owner Indicted for Alleged Workers’ Comp Fraud
Dec 18 2012 // Tennessee authorities announced recently that a Memphis business owner had been indicted for alleged workers’ compensation fraud. The state grand jury for Shelby County indicted Richard Nobles for four counts of...
Traffic Accidents Lead Cause of High-Severity Workers’ Comp Injuries: Study
Dec 18 2012 // Traffic accidents are a leading cause of high-severity workers’ compensation injuries. Moreover, they are pervasive; indeed, a 2006 study by the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) noted that even the...
Deal Reached on Change to N.C. Workers’ Comp Law
Dec 17 2012 // Legislators say they don’t expect any obstacles when they consider a bill allowing workers to make sure their employers carry workers’ compensation insurance on them. The News & Observer of Raleigh...
Vegas Police Officer Accused Of Workers Comp Fraud
Dec 17 2012 // Authorities say a veteran Las Vegas traffic officer has been suspended without pay following his arrest on felony fraud charges in a workers’ compensation case that has now been turned over to the Nevada attorney...
Fallin Appoints Taylor as New Oklahoma Worker’s Comp Judge
Dec 14 2012 // Gov. Mary Fallin has appointed a Tulsa judge as the new presiding judge of the Oklahoma Workers’ Compensation Court. Fallin announced that Judge L. Brad Taylor will replace Judge Michael Harkey as the presiding judge...
Illinois Work Comp Medical Fee Schedule Rates to Increase 1.69%
Dec 13 2012 // Workers’ compensation medical fee schedule rates in Illinois will increase 1.69 percent in 2013, according to the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission (IWCC). The IWCC said the hike is less than half the...
Profile: Workers’ Comp Fraud Expert Takes Old School Approach
Dec 12 2012 // When a Southern California family was convicted of workers’ compensation insurance premium fraud, it wasn’t due to sophisticated software, a supercomputer or even high-tech surveillance techniques. It was the...
Cost Per Workers’ Compensation Claim Rising in Indiana: Study
Dec 11 2012 // The average cost of a workers’ compensation claim in Indiana grew rapidly in recent years, mainly driven by the high price of medical care, according to a new study, Benchmarks for Indiana, CompScope 13th Edition, by...
Detroit to Lay Off 5% of Workforce; Investigate Insurance, Work Comp Fraud
Dec 10 2012 // Detroit officials say they’re making plans to lay off 400 to 500 city employees in the new year, roughly 5 percent of the workforce. The disclosure was made Dec. 7 as Mayor Dave Bing said he has enough votes in the...
Patriot National’s Guarantee Insurance Co. Expanding into Michigan
Dec 7 2012 // Workers’ compensation insurer Patriot National Insurance Group announced that its subsidiary, Guarantee Insurance Co., will begin writing workers’ compensation insurance in Michigan. The addition of Michigan...
Assessments Announced for California Workers’ Comp Funds
Dec 6 2012 // California regulators have issued assessment rates that employers will pay in 2013 for the Workers’ Compensation Administration Revolving Fund. The fund covers the Division of Workers’ Compensation budget, the...
Texas Work Comp ‘Notice to Employees’ Language Changes Jan. 1
Dec 6 2012 // State law requires Texas employers to notify employees if they carry workers’ compensation insurance. The TDI-DWC recently adopted amendments to 28 Texas Administrative Code §110.101 (relating to Covered and...
Jan. 1 to Bring New Texas Work Comp Nonsubscriber Reporting Requirements
Dec 6 2012 // Effective Jan. 1, 2013, Texas employers who do not carry workers’ compensation insurance coverage have new requirements for reporting their non-coverage status to the Texas Department of Insurance, Division of...
S&P Affirms Liberty Mutual Group’s Ratings; Outlook Revised to Stable
Dec 6 2012 // Standard & Poor’s Rating Services has affirmed its ‘BBB-‘ counterparty credit and senior debt ratings on Liberty Mutual Group Inc. as well as its ‘A-‘ counterparty credit and financial...
Employers Hopeful for California Workers’ Comp Reform
Dec 3 2012 // Editor’s Note: This is the third 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. Looking forward...
Florida Prison Guard Charged with $2.7 Million Workers’ Comp Fraud
Dec 3 2012 // A former Florida prison guard is free on bond after being charged with faking illness to fraudulently collect more than $2.7 million in workers’ compensation. Authorities said David Brownell was arrested last week in...
Texas Mutual Looks to Sever Last Ties to State Oversight
Dec 3 2012 // The insurer of last resort for workers’ compensation coverage in Texas is seeking to cut its last ties to the state government that created it. Texas Mutual Insurance Co. was established by the Texas Legislature in...
