Latest Workers' Compensation Headlines

Pending Bills Undermine Calif. Workers Comp Reforms, Insurers Say

Jun 28 2006 // Three measures awaiting approval by a key state Senate committee would undermine recent reforms that have improved California’s workers compensation system, according to Sam Sorich, president of the Association of...

Durham, N.C. Resident Sentenced to 12-and-a-Half Years; Must repay $8.3M

Jun 28 2006 // Steve Edwards of Durham, N.C. has been sentenced to 12-and-a-half years in prison in an insurance fraud case that left North Carolinians with unpaid workers’ compensation and health insurance claims estimated in...

Texas Workers’ Comp Q3 Discount Rate and Interest Rate Announced

Jun 27 2006 // The Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers’ Compensation has determined that any interest or discount provided for in the Act shall be at the rate of 8.68 percent. This rate is computed by using the...

Baltimore Company Admits Defrauding W.Va. Workers’ Comp Agency

Jun 26 2006 // A defunct Baltimore company has pleaded guilty in Charleston, W. Va. to a federal fraud charge for billing the state of Workers’ Compensation Division for services that were never provided. RTW Rehabilitation...

La. Workers’ Comp Corporation to Pay $19.6 Million Dividend

Jun 23 2006 // Louisiana Workers’ Compensation Corporation (LWCC) announced it is paying a $19.6 million dividend to qualifying policyholders. LWCC’s board of directors declared the dividend, which is believed to be the...

N.Y. Restaurant Workers’ Comp Safety Group Pays 40% Dividend

Jun 22 2006 // United Restaurants of New York Workers’ Compensation Safety Group #556 has paid a 40 percent dividend to approximately 775 members for policies through Sept. 30, 2005, according to the group’s manager, The...

Texas Posts Workers’ Comp Notice of Employee Rights, Responsibilities

Jun 22 2006 // Pursuant to House Bill 7 (79th Legislature), the public counsel for the Office of Injured Employee Counsel developed and submitted a notice of injured employee rights and responsibilities to the Texas Department of...

More N.Y. Self-Insured Workers’ Comp Groups Shutting Down

Jun 21 2006 // Two more self-insured workers’ compensation groups in New York will close over the next several months, bringing the year’s tally to five, as officials continue to enforce stricter financial standards. The...

California Family Business-Owners Arrested on Fraud

Jun 21 2006 // Californians Clyde and Jackie Sewell, both 52, owners of North Pointe Enterprises Inc., and their daughter, Toni Studer, 30, were arrested at their place of business. The Sewells, who are residents of Elverta, Calif., were...

Eastern Insurance, Educators Mutual Complete Stock Deals; Begin Trading

Jun 20 2006 // Eastern Insurance Holdings, Inc. of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, has completed its common stock offering, the conversion of Educators Mutual Life Insurance Company, also of Lancaster, to a stock insurance company and the...

Okla. Gov. Names Harkey as Workers’ Comp Judge

Jun 20 2006 // Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry appointed Michael J. Harkey as a Workers’ Compensation Court judge for a term ending July 1, 2008. He succeeds Richard G. Mason, who resigned in January. The governor praised...

Supreme Court: Workers Comp Premiums Not Priority in Bankruptcy

Jun 20 2006 // A workers compensation insurer does not have a claim against a bankrupt business for unpaid premiums under bankruptcy law, according to the U.S. Supreme Court in a 6-3 decision that insurers are warning could disrupt the...

California commissioner recommends 16.4 percent workers’ comp rate cut

Jun 19 2006 // California Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi has recommended a 16.4 percent decrease in the workers’ compensation pure premium rate. The decrease would be applicable to new and renewal policies as of the first...

More N.Y. self-insured comp trusts close

Jun 19 2006 // Two more self-insured workers’ compensation groups in New York will close over the next several months, bringing the year’s tally to five, as officials continue to enforce stricter financial standards. The...

Jun 19 2006 // People PMA Insurance Group has promoted Elaine Manchon to assistant vice president for commercial markets underwriting. Manchon, who will join PMA’s corporate headquarters staff in the company’s Blue Bell,...

News Currents

Jun 19 2006 // California commissioner recommends 16.4 percent workers’ comp rate cut California Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi has recommended a 16.4 percent decrease in the workers’ compensation pure premium rate....

Ohio Workers’ Fund Scandal Expands to State’s Pension Funds, Treasury

Jun 16 2006 // A sweeping investigation into bribery for investment contracts at the state insurance fund for injured workers has expanded to now include Ohio’s pension funds and the state treasury. The list of the top ten to 15...

Employers Insurance Group’s Outlook Positive

Jun 16 2006 // Reno, Nev.-based Employers Insurance Group’s financial strength rating has been raised from “stable” to “positive,” and A- (Excellent) forthe group of workers’ compensation insurance...

Pride Industries Employee Arrested for Workers’ Compensation Fraud

Jun 16 2006 // A Sacramento man has turned himself in for insurance fraud. Darren Stanton was a long term employee of PRIDE Industries, an employer of people with disabilities, according to LWP Claims Solutions Inc. On March 28, 2005,...

Division of Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board Adopts New Heat Stress Regulations

Jun 16 2006 // The California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board has adopted a permanent heat stress regulation, which protects all California employees working outdoors. The measure now goes to the Office of Administrative...