Quote of the day
“The BLS 2018 fatality data for the industry is not surprising, as we have been telling SWANA members and others in the industry that we had identified an increase in fatal incidents last year since we recorded 19 of them in January 2018. The increased strength of the economy in 2018 may have played a role in the higher number of fatal incidents, as volumes increased.”
David Biderman, CEO, Solid Waste Association of North Americas
Note to our valued subscribers: Workers’ Comp Executive will be taking its annual holiday break starting Monday, December 23, 2019. We will resume daily publication Monday, January 6, 2020.
Study: Virginia only state that doesn’t compensate for cumulative trauma injuries
An audit recommends the state of Virginia pursue improvements to its existing workers’ compensation system program before considering an alternative program. One major finding by the Joint Legislative Audit & Review Commission is that Virginia is the only state where employers are not obligated to compensate workers for work-related cumulative trauma injuries. The study also found employers in the state pay comparatively high medical costs for claims because Virginia’s fees are based on fees charged by providers, not the cost to provide services. Virginia Business
Texas woman found guilty in $5.5 million health care fraud scheme
A federal jury late last week found a Texas woman guilty for her part in a $5.5 million scheme to defraud the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Workers’ Compensation Program by overcharging for physical therapy and other services. According to the original indictment, she and another defendant worked at clinics in Temple and Fort Worth, Texas that treated almost exclusively Department of Labor patients. Times Record News (Wichita Falls, Texas)
Waste collection worker fatalities spiked last year: BLS
The number of workplace fatalities increased dramatically for U.S. solid waste collection workers in 2018, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics, marking the highest recorded total for this category of the decade. The news follows an earlier BLS report that non-fatal injury and illness rates also increased for collection workers in 2018 to nearly double the national average for all occupations. Waste Dive
How immigration debates are affecting workers’ comp in the US
One of the moving parts in the United States’ immigration debate is the question of who gets workers’ compensation. The legal precedent behind these questions is as disordered as the corresponding political landscape. International Policy Digest