Officer’s widow fights city of Winston-Salem for workers’ comp
Sergeant Mike McDonald of the Winston-Salem, North Carolina Police Department died in October of COVID-19 pneumonia, after working a fair that some had characterized as a “super-spreader” event. The city of Winston-Salem, however, has hired a private attorney to dispute his survivors’ claim to benefits offered to officers lost in the line of duty. Winston-Salem Journal
New Pennsylvania law expedites workers’ comp process
A new Pennsylvania law penned will expedite the process of finalizing workers’ compensation claims. Daily News (Huntington, Pa.) [may require registration]
Supreme Court to review Washington workers’ comp law for federal contractors
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday granted the federal government’s bid for review of a Washington state law extending workers’ compensation to employees of the Hanford nuclear facility, a U.S. Department of Energy site, where employees were exposed to toxic fumes and radioactive waste. The law created a presumption that Hanford employees’ illnesses were work-related and eligible for workers’ comp. Reuters
Deadly accident highlights dangers of snowmaking
A snowmaker’s job is to keep the snow guns functioning and to move and groom the manmade snow to cover the slopes for a skier-friendly experience. A majority of their work is done at night, especially in the early ski season. Fatal accidents like the one that happened last week in Massachusetts’ Berkshires area are rare, but industry experts say the job comes with a lot of risks. Berkshire Eagle