Quote of the day
"It is completely outrageous that [West Virginia] Attorney General McGraw refuses to return the money awarded to these state agencies while paying private lawyers millions, and doling out the remaining funds to organizations of his own choosing."
Karen Price, executive director of the West Virginia Business and Industry Council, part of a group seeking restitution of more than $2.2 million won in a lawsuit against the maker of OxyContin to the state's "old" workers' comp fund
District Cuts Some Workers’ Comp Rates
The District of Columbia Department of Insurance announces it has approved a 7.6 percent workers’ compensation rate decrease for voluntary market industrial risks and a 10.6 percent reduction for industrial classes in the residual market. By Roberto Ceniceros, Business Insurance
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Business Group Asks West Virginia AG to Refund Lawsuit Award
A group comprised of state business and professional associations asks the West Virginia attorney general to return more than $2.2 million won in a lawsuit against the maker of OxyContin to the “old” state workers’ compensation fund, for the benefit of both employers who paid into it, and injured workers. Charleston Daily Mail
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Military Service Members Claims Expedited
Men and women serving in the U.S. military who become disabled while on active duty are receiving ‘expedited processing’ of disability claims from Social Security. The expedited process is for military service members who were disabled on or after October 1, 2001. By Everett M. Lo, Paramus (N.J.) Post
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Pa. County Expects Savings from New Workers’ Comp Contract
Lackawanna County, Pa. taxpayers would pay 36 percent less for administering workers’ compensation claims under a proposal by the company that took over the job after the former administrator was fired amid an FBI investigation. One county commissioner says the savings could have been realized earlier if competitive bids had been sought. By Boris Krawczeniuk, Scranton Times-Tribune
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Senate Panel Faults Communication Breakdown in Utah Mine Disaster
A Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing reveals that the Bureau of Land Management and the Mine Safety and Health Administration failed to share information about potential dangers at the Utah coal mine where nine miners and rescuers died in August. According to committee chairman Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., the communication breakdown “is like the CIA not talking to the FBI when we’re getting attacked by terrorists.”
Go to the full story by Thomas Burr, Salt Lake Tribune
Go to the full story by Dorothy Kosich, MineWeb