Quote of the day
"There is absolutely no assistance of any kind for a truly injured worker."
Dana Luby, Vacaville spouse of an injured worker, on her experiences with the workers' compensation system
Zenith Announces Sixth Straight Rate Cut
Woodland Hills-based Zenith National Insurance Corp., California’s largest private-sector insurer of injured workers, announces that it will lower workers’ comp rates by an average of 4.4 percent, effective on or after the first of the year. Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal
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Injured Worker’s Wife Describes Bleak ‘Quagmire’
The Vacaville wife of an injured worker notices striking similarities between her terrible experience in the post-reform California workers’ compensation system, and that experienced by a prior letter-writer. By Dana Luby via Vacaville Reporter
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Exec Pulls Back Invite to Employees
Amid criticism, Sandy Blunt, executive director of North Dakota Workforce Safety and Insurance, retracts an invitation to speak in support of the agency at a legislative meeting. A recent audit found low morale in the agency’s workforce and that it often violated state law in awarding contracts and hiring.
Go to the full story by Janelle Cole, the Forum (Fargo) [With Photo] Go to the full story in KXMB-TV (Bismarck) [With Video]
Poor Recordkeeping Allowed Cops Unauthorized Time Off: Audit
Nearly 70 percent of Stamford, Conn., police requests for injury pay last year were not properly authorized by doctor’s notes and other documents, according to an independent audit that also found officers returning to work long after doctors cleared them. The unauthorized off time cost the city nearly $800,000 in mostly tax-free salary payments. By Zach Lowe, Stamford Advocate
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Most Manitoba Employers Will See A Rate Decrease in 2007
Approximately 64 percent of Manitoba employers will see reductions in their workers compensation premium rates next year, according to authorities Winnipeg Sun
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Background Checks Can Thwart Workers’ Comp Problems
Background checks, including workers’ compensation reports, during the recruitment and hiring process help decrease the risk of bad hires by reducing problems associated with embezzlement, workers’ compensation, occupational licensing, and negligence. By Bent Ericksen and Tim Twigg, Dental Economics
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Tips for Handling Workers’ Comp Claims
Workers’ compensation claims can vary by state, but a Columbus attorney offers some basic tips for responding to a claim including having the employee examined by a doctor of the employer’s choice. By Jonathan Katz, Industry Week
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Pennsylvania Drywaller Charged with Fraud
A Bensalem, Pa., drywall taper faces criminal workers compensation insurance fraud charges for allegedly pocketing $42,000 for a purported leg injury while continuing to work at a similar job. The charges carry maximum penalties of seven years in prison and a $15,000 fine. By Kendra Gentry, Bucks County Courier Times
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Florida Rewards Insurance Fraud Tipsters
The Florida Department of Financial Services is paying people who provide information leading to arrests for insurance fraud as part of its Fraud Fighters Reward Program. North Country Gazette (Chestertown, N.Y.)
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Another Guilty Plea in Case Against Former Maryland Workers’ Comp Bigwig
The president of a mechanical contracting firm—a key figure in the public corruption case against former Maryland state Sen. Thomas L. Bromwell, a former president and chief executive officer of the Maryland Injured Workers’ Insurance Fund—pleads guilty to federal charges of racketeering, mail fraud and filing a false tax return. Bromwell is charged with engaging in minority contracting fraud while in office. By AP via Washington Times
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