workers’ compensation News

Fertilizer Manufacturer Fined $400K for Washington Worker Death from Toxic Gas

A fertilizer manufacturer has been fined $394,200 for the death of a worker killed by toxic gasses at a work site. The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries fined Two Rivers Terminal LLC for safety violations following the death …

Philadelphia Tests Bullet-Resistant Glass to Protect City Bus Drivers

Philadelphia’s public transit system is moving forward with plans to test-run bullet-resistant glass enclosures for drivers on city buses, joining other cities hoping to provide more protection for drivers who often face violence and harassment from passengers. Law enforcement officers …

Big Threat? Payroll Companies Taking Insurance Biz Away From Agencies, Agents Warn

Insurance agents in Florida and beyond are finding that some of their toughest competition now seems to be coming from firms that aren’t really insurance agencies at all – at least not in the historical sense of the word. “They’re …

Pennsylvania Shootout Highlights Rising Violence Against US Hospital Workers

A man who took hostages in a Pennsylvania hospital during a shooting that killed a police officer and wounded five other people highlights the rising violence against U.S. healthcare workers and the challenge of protecting them. Diogenes Archangel-Ortiz, 49, carried …

Florida Contractor in Fatal Fall Incident Sentenced for Workers’ Comp Fraud

A Florida framing contractor has been sentenced to 48 months in prison and millions of dollars in fines and restitution after he failed to obtain workers’ compensation insurance and ignored safety practices, leading to deadly consequences. Despite six previous citations …

Maryland Report Says Many Workers Misclassified, Costing $59M in Comp Premiums

Worker misclassification in Maryland is widespread, leaving thousands of workers without injury protection and depriving insurance companies of more than $58 million in workers’ compensation premiums each year, according to a new report from a state task force. Maryland’s Joint …

NC Industrial Commission Grants Benefits to Widow of Officer Killed in Mass Shooting

The family of a Raleigh police officer will receive workers’ compensation survivor benefits, even though the man was not officially at work when he was killed, the North Carolina Industrial Commission decided this week. Gabriel Torres was killed in a …

Worker Struck and Killed by Airplane Tug at Charlotte Airport

Police and federal safety crews are investigating after an airport vehicle struck and killed a 66-year-old worker at Charlotte Douglas International Airport this week. News sites reported that emergency personnel responded Monday morning to the accident, in which an American …

Fire Chief Fatally Shot While Helping Couple Whose Car Hit a Deer in Alabama

A man fatally shot a Georgia fire battalion chief and wounded the driver of a car that hit a deer in rural Alabama, authorities said. The Coweta County, Georgia, fire department is mourning the death of James Bartholomew Cauthen, 54, …

Tennessee to See Another Drop in Average Workers’ Comp Costs This Year

Average workers’ compensation loss costs for the voluntary market in Tennessee will drop by 3.6% starting March 1, marking the 12th straight year for decreases in the state. The National Council on Compensation Insurance recommended the decrease in a September …