Quote of the day
“He had…become a lightning rod. He had earned the distain and the distrust of the business community.”
Frank Harty, attorney for former Iowa governor Terry Branstad and the state in a discrimination lawsuit brought by the state’s former workers’ compensation commissioner
Trial finally underway in discrimination lawsuit against former Iowa governor
Former Iowa Governor Terry Branstad is scheduled to testify next week at a trial in Des Moines, accused along with two staffers of pressuring the state’s former workers compensation commissioner to resign eight years ago because he’s gay. Branstad’s attorney says his client was unaware Chris Godfrey was gay and asked him to step down because of complaints about his decisions on workers’ comp cases. Radio Iowa
Study: Raising workers’ comp payouts only mildly impacts health outcomes
A study by the Workers Compensation Research Institute finds little relationship between increasing workers’ compensation prices and the recovery of workers’ health and functioning, as well as speed of return to work. The study was spurred by longstanding concerns that when workers’ comp prices are set too low, workers experience problems getting timely access to medical care, leading to poor recovery and issues with getting back to work in a timely manner. HR Dive
Connecticut Senate passes ‘mental-mental’ bill
The Connecticut Senate this week unanimously passed a bill that would provide police officers and firefighters with workers’ compensation coverage for work-related emotional and mental injuries. The bill essentially expands the definition of personal injury in state workers’ compensation laws to include so-called “mental-mental” injuries as of July 1. The bill now heads to the Connecticut House of Representatives for consideration. Middletown Press
Rhode Island appeals court reverses decision for insurer
The Rhode Island Workers’ Compensation Court Appellate Division has ruled judgment should not have been granted to an insurer that claimed an employer knowingly and intentionally deceived it into retroactively reinstating a canceled policy to cover a claimed workers’ compensation injury. Rhode Island Lawyers Weekly [may require registration]
Louisiana: City receives dividend check from LWCC
Louisiana workers’ compensation carrier LWCC this week presented a dividend check of more than $75,000 to the City of Zachary, a policyholder, as a result of its commitment to workplace safety, prompt return to work and loss prevention, according to a news release. The Advocate (Baton Rouge)