Quote of the day
“I took one for the team, but this is the way your team treats you. People can’t believe what I’ve gone through.”
Albert Gaines, a Marine Corps veteran who was working at a Florida VA hospital cleaning rooms when he was injured in an active shooter incident in February
VA shooting survivor feels victimized by ‘bizarre’ federal workers’ comp system
Three months after a distraught patient opened fire at the VA Medical Center in Riviera Beach, Florida, a 65-year-old U.S. Marine Corps veteran who was working as a housekeeper at the hospital at the time and was one of two people who were shot in the emergency room, is appealing the denial of his request for workers’ compensation. The phrase “pre-existing injury” was repeatedly used to explain why he is not eligible for workers’ compensation benefits. Military.com
Ohio employers to get $1.5B rebate in workers’ comp premiums
The Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation has proposed a $1.5 billion rebate in workers’ compensation premiums. Earlier this year, the bureau approved a 20% cut in premiums that will go into effect July 1 for private employers. The cut is the largest in nearly 60 years and will reduce premiums to the lowest levels in at least 40 years. Columbus Dispatch
Study finds Illinois workers’ compensation claims remain higher than most states
The Workers’ Compensation Research Institute has compared Illinois’ workers’ compensation system with 17 other states and found it has one of the highest medical-legal expenses per claim and one of the highest percentage of claims with medical-legal expenses. Findings include that Illinois’ weekly maximum wage benefit was higher than that of other states reviewed, or more than 133 percent of the statewide average weekly wage compared with 100 percent in most other states. KPVI (Pocatello, Idaho) [with video]
Man pleads not guilty to workplace manslaughter in Maine worker’s fatal fall
A man accused of workplace manslaughter in connection with his half-brother’s fatal fall from a three-story apartment building in Portland, Maine in December appeared in court yesterday. If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine. WGME (Portland, Maine)
Some Montana officials to see pay bumps
Some Montana elected officials will see pay increases as of July 1, thanks to a biennial survey that looks at what they make as compared to the same officials in surrounding states. In all, 71 people will be affected, including one workers’ compensation judge. Great Falls Tribune