Latest Workers' Compensation Headlines
All the headlines from our Workers' Compensation Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Illinois Business Groups Sue Over Expanded Workers’ Comp Eligibility Rules
Apr 24 2020 // New emergency rules enacted by Illinois workers’ compensation regulators have drawn a lawsuit by a pair of trade associations representing retailers and manufacturers in the state. The Illinois Manufacturers’...
California Workers’ Comp Report Shows Written Premium Down 6% in 2019
Apr 23 2020 // Workers’ compensation written premium in California for calendar year 2019 was 6% below that for calendar year 2018, according to an update on California statewide insurer experience valued as of Dec.31, 2019. The...
Travelers, W.R. Berkley CEOs Sound Alarm Over Coronavirus Lawsuits, Workers’ Comp
Apr 23 2020 // During an earnings conference call Tuesday, the leader of Travelers insurance alerted listeners to the possibility that frivolous lawsuits by plaintiffs lawyers could slow down the economic recovery from COVID-19...
Travelers Sees Q1 Profit Fall From Storms; It’s Watching COVID-19 Workers’ Comp Claims
Apr 21 2020 // Property and casualty insurer Travelers Cos. Inc. reported a 25% drop in quarterly profit on Tuesday and warned that potential claims tied to compensation coverage for furloughed and laid-off employees would hit results...
California Workers’ Comp Bureau to Restrict COVID-19 Experience, Payroll in Rating
Apr 21 2020 // The Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California has submitted a special regulatory filing to the California Insurance Commissioner with proposals to address the COVID-19 pandemic. The WCIRB governing...
States Easing Path to Workers’ Compensation Benefits for Coronavirus Workers
Apr 21 2020 // Sympathetic state lawmakers and regulators in states both red and blue promise to make COVID-19 a major cost driver for workers’ compensation insurers. The governors of Kentucky, Arkansas, North Dakota and Florida...
California State Fund to Accept All Essential Worker COVID Claims; Adds to Safety Fund
Apr 20 2020 // California’s State Compensation Insurance Fund on Monday announced another series of actions designed to support policyholders and workers affected by the COVID-19 crisis, including doubling the size of its newly...
Layoffs, Small Business Exits Likely Major Coronavirus Effects on Workers’ Comp: NCCI
Apr 20 2020 // A new analysis of the economic effects of the coronavirus finds that while layoffs of workers will have the most immediate effect on workers’ compensation, a rise in business failures could pose a major challenge...
Employers May Exclude Payroll to Employees Not Working for Workers’ Comp: NCCI
Apr 20 2020 // Businesses that have suspended operations due to COVID-19 but continue to pay employees who are at home but not working will not have to include the payroll paid to these employees in the calculation of their...
Florida Directs Workers’ Comp Insurers to Comply with COVID-19 Treatment Order
Apr 20 2020 // The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation has issued an informational memorandum to all insurers and entities authorized to write workers’ compensation insurance providing guidance on the treatment of policyholders...
California Workers’ Comp to Exclude COVID-19 From Rating, Payroll
Apr 17 2020 // The governing committee of the Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California on Friday voted unanimously for a special regulatory filing that includes excluding COVID-19 claims from the experience...
OSHA Inspectors to Prioritize Health Facilities Over Other Sites During Coronavirus Crisis
Apr 15 2020 // The U.S. agency that enforces workplace safety laws has said it will prioritize work site inspections of healthcare facilities over other “essential” businesses that remain open during the coronavirus...
Businesses Warn Fear of Lawsuits Could Stall Rebooting of Economy; Urge Coordination
Apr 15 2020 // Litigation surrounding coronavirus responses is already underway and businesses are warning that the fear of more lawsuits could hinder the reboot of the U.S. economy. Returning America to work will require coordination...
How Insurance Claims Pros Are Adjusting to Pandemic Complications
Apr 15 2020 // The coronavirus pandemic has not shut down the day-to-day business of adjusting claims, but the workload is lighter and claims managers are coping with evolving government regulations and guidelines. Crawford & Co....
California State Fund Pledging $50M for Essential Workers During COVID-19 Crisis
Apr 13 2020 // California’s State Compensation Insurance Fund announced on Monday that it will establish two new funds to support the health and recovery of essential workers and workplace safety during the COVID-19 crisis. The...
Florida Directs Workers’ Comp Insurers to Comply with COVID-19 Treatment Order
Apr 9 2020 // The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation has issued an informational memorandum to all insurers and entities authorized to write workers’ compensation insurance providing guidance on the treatment of policyholders...
Anticipated Coronavirus Claims Scenarios Across Major Coverage Lines: Viewpoint
Apr 9 2020 // As the COVID-19 pandemic has progressed over the past several months, participants in the insurance industry have recognized the likelihood of a resulting increase in claims volume. Much of the early focus has been on the...
California’s Workers’ Comp Bureau Will Skip Mid-Year Filing Due to COVID-19
Apr 8 2020 // The Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California’s governing committee has decided not to submit a July 1, 2020 rate. The committee met this week to review the WCIRB actuarial committee’s...
3 Employers Cited for Safety Hazards After Worker Injured in Illinois
Apr 8 2020 // Federal officials have cited three employers for workplace safety hazards after a worker suffered injuries at Northwestern University’s campus in Evanston, Ill. Northwestern University, Hill Mechanical Corp. and...
Minnesota Lawmakers to Ensure Workers’ Comp Coverage to Responders with COVID-19
Apr 7 2020 // The Minnesota Legislature is reconvening to pass a bill to ensure that first responders and health care workers who contract COVID-19 qualify for workers’ compensation without having to prove that they contracted the...
