Airline disputes flight attendant’s ‘long-haul COVID’ claim
Alaska Airlines is taking a COVID-19 workers’ compensation case centered on one of the company’s flight attendants to court, on grounds the company doesn’t have the responsibility to pay wages and benefits, despite the employee’s claim she got the virus on a flight. The 54-year-old flight attendant says her symptoms have persisted for 10 months and counting. KING
Idaho: Workers’ comp has paid more than $2 million in claims connected to COVID
The Idaho Legislature last week considered amending workers’ compensation law to address vaccine injuries. Meanwhile, Idaho Public Television’s records requests regarding how much already has been paid out under Idaho workers comp for COVID-related claims found the sum is more than $2 million. Idaho Press
Canada: Yukon considers including wildland firemen in extended workers’ comp
The Whitehorse Firefighters Association and Yukon First Nations Wildfire is asking the government to cover wildland firemen under the list of presumptive workplace cancers. An executive with Yukon First Nations Wildfire says around a quarter of the province’s fire response is composed of wildland firemen, and the job is increasingly dealing also with structural fires. Yukon News
Missouri Supreme Court clarifies meaning and application of co-employee immunity statute
The Missouri Supreme Court recently issued a long-awaited opinion on co-employee immunity and liability under Missouri’s workers’ compensation statute, holding the relevant part of the statute provides immunity to co-employees and does not create a new cause of action, write Ben Harner and Carl Pesce of Thompson Coburn LLP. JD Supra