Quote of the day
"I'm as mad as I've ever been in my life. In hindsight, what does a lobbyist know about running an insurance company?"
Randy Rayburn, Nashville restaurateur, about a Tennessee restaurant industry lobbyist who ran—and, many say, badly mismanaged—a state workers' comp fund
State Appeals Court Rules Against Hollywood Grip
The exclusive remedy of workers’ compensation bars a Hollywood grip, who lost two fingertips while working on a television show in 2003, from suing a studio that qualified as a “special employer,” rules the California 2nd Appellate District Court. By Roberto Ceniceros, Workforce Management
Go to the Full Story…
Workers’ Comp Fund Burns Volunteer State Restaurateurs
Tennessee restaurant owners stew over state government officials’ plan to force 500 restaurants across the state pay an additional $4.8 million to support a workers’ compensation fund that has been under state control for two years. The Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance has sued the president/CEO of the Tennessee Restaurant Association, contending that he mismanaged the fund and dipped into reserves without proper approval. By Naomi Snyder, Tennessean [With Photo] Go to the Full Story…
Tests on Fire-Damaged Salem School Buses Inconclusive
Tests for toxins on several fire-damaged Salem, Ore., school buses show no health risks, according to a district spokesman, despite a year’s worth of driver complaints that 15 such buses have caused them nausea, headaches, and burning noses and throats. Six drivers have filed workers’ compensation claims, which have been denied. By Tracy Loew, Salem Statesman Journal
Go to the Full Story…
Expert: Employers Have More Cost-Control Power Than They Know
Most employers do not effectively control the direct and indirect costs of workers’ compensation, and some put their businesses at risk by not implementing programs that reduce or eliminate injuries and cut the number of lost work days. By Margaret Spence, American Chronicle
Go to the Full Story…
WSI Did Not Ask Exec to Step Down: Spokesman
A Workforce Safety and Insurance spokesman is quick to point out that the departure of former chief of investigations Romi Leingang, who was indicted for alleged conspiracy to disclose confidential information last year, was not asked to leave North Dakota’s workers’ compensation agency. A judge dismissed the case against Leingang and former WSI executive director Sandy Blunt after prosecutors discovered that the executives had relied on a WSI attorney’s advice that using drivers’ license photos in their internal investigation was legal. By Janell Cole, Dickinson Press [may require registration] Go to the Full Story…
Commentary: More Resignations Needed at WSI
The job shakeup at North Dakota’s workers’ comp agency is a good start, but the $300,000 tab for consultants could be better spent on injured workers. Moreover, the governor and attorney general should get involved. By Sebald Vetter, Bismarck Tribune
Go to the Full Story…