Quote of the day
"They get their medical bills paid, get back to work and are having a pretty good experience. It's the long-term injuries that are a problem. It's really difficult to talk to an injured worker who sat there for eight months with no money and they lost their house and car."
Kim Floyd, Wyoming AFL-CIO, to the Wyoming Legislature's Joint Labor, Health and Social Services Interim Committee
Wyoming Legislators Mull Worker-Friendly System Changes
After listening to two days of testimony, the Wyoming Legislature’s Joint Labor, Health and Social Services Interim Committee devises a list of possible areas it may cover in the next legislative session, including covering all workers, fixing delays, creating a consumer advocate, adjusting benefits for cost-of-living increases, and increasing permanent disability and death benefits. By Allison Rupp, Casper Star-Tribune
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Oregon Sees Improvement in Workplace Death Stats
According to the Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services, 35 people covered by Oregon’s workers’ compensation system died on the job during 2007, the third-lowest number of compensable workplace deaths in the state’s history. Oregonian
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Risk Management to Cut Claims Cost
As work environments become safer, the number of workers’ compensation claims continues to decline. At the same time, the cost per claim has risen 27 percent in the past four years, making the business costs substantial. AllBusiness.com via San Francisco Chronicle
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Q&A: Injured Worker Lost in Maze of Process
Action Line answers an injured worker who received a letter stating that the worker had been overpaid, despite never having filed for disability with the state. By Dennis Rockstroh, San Jose Mercury News [may require registration] Go to the Full Story…
Maryland Insurer Promotes Safe Driving
Because many roadway accidents are compensable workers’ compensation insurance claims, Maryland’s IWIF is partnering with a cooperative interstate effort to combat aggressive driving in the mid-Atlantic region. The insurer’s claim data show 10% of total claim costs are a result of auto accident claims, with the average cost per claim for a workplace auto accident $13,800. Insurance and Financial Advisor
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Aussie Researchers: Workers’ Comp Stats on Depression Inaccurate
Australian researchers report that workers’ compensation statistics under-represent depression linked to job stress. United Press International
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