Quote of the day
“It’s been an emotional rollercoaster.
Andrew Panaggio, a former chemical worker in Nashua, New Hampshire, who suffered a work-related back injury in 1991 and was approved by the New Hampshire Health Department to participate in the therapeutic cannabis program in 2016, but has been battling coverage denial by his insurer
New Hampshire justices rule appeals board wrongly denied workers’ comp for cannabis
A New Hampshire labor appeals board improperly determined that workers’ compensation cannot reimburse an employee for the cost of medical cannabis, according to the New Hampshire Supreme Court. The court said state workers’ compensation law does not deny such reimbursement. AP
Construction labor brokers charged with fraud in New York City
Manhattan prosecutors have charged two construction middlemen, who paired workers with construction jobs, with insurance fraud for putting the employees at risk of not being covered for work-related injuries by misrepresenting their number. More than a dozen of workers were injured and one died while the scheme was active, according to prosecutors. New York Daily News
Illinois city may pay out large workers’ comp settlement for injured fireman
Pending approval by the city council, Bloomington, Illinois may pay a retired fireman almost $129,000 to resolve his workers’ compensation claim after he re-aggravated a lower back injury when he moved a patient weighing more than 350 pounds. WJBC
Western New York man charged with workers’ comp fraud
A Wilson, New York man faces workers’ compensation fraud charges for allegedly collecting more than $11,000 in benefits to which he was not entitled. Niagara Gazette
Ohio contractor sentenced to prison for worker’s death
A 53-year-old Ohio construction company owner has been sentenced to three years in prison for failing to provide safety equipment when an employee fell from a roof and died. Charges include involuntary manslaughter and workers’ compensation fraud. WHIO