Quote of the day
"Right now the average length of stay away from work is nine months. That's nuts. I don't see how an employer can stay in business like that."
Jai Sharma of Houston, chairperson of Louisianans for Workers' Compensation Reform, which may see some success with a new governor and state legislature in office
As Investigation and Lawsuit Progress, Mallard’s Goes Under
The troubled Mallard’s Restaurant in Modesto closes as its owners face a criminal investigation and a $1.6 million civil lawsuit in federal court. The California Department of Industrial Relations recently fined the popular Central Valley restaurant $100,000 for failure to carry workers compensation insurance. By Ben van der Meer, Modesto Bee [With Photo] Go to the Full Story…
Changes Foreseen in Louisiana Workers’ Comp
A push by self-insured employers, a wholesale turnover in the Louisiana state legislature, and new Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal could trigger major changes in Louisiana’s workers’ compensation laws. Reform groups contend that Louisiana employers have the longest temporary disability duration rate—40 percent higher than the median—and pay more than the national average for workers’ comp. Louisiana Medical News
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Premium Spike Spurs N.Y. Towns to Rethink Participation in County Fund
Hit with huge increases in their premiums, Orange County, N.Y., municipalities are looking to abandon the county-managed workers’ comp fund they’ve paid into for years. The county is encouraging employers to buy private insurance as long as they either take pending claims with them, or buy out the county to continue handling them. By Chris McKenna, Times Herald-Record (Middletown, N.Y.)
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Bay State Contractor Cops to Workers’ Comp Fraud
The president of a Hyannis, Mass., construction firm pleads guilty to workers’ compensation insurance fraud for grossly underreporting the company’s payroll to insurance auditors and defrauding the firm’s insurer and the Workers’ Compensation Rating Inspection Board of more than $100,000 in premiums, according to the state attorney general. By Chris Reidy, Boston Globe
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Ohio County Approves BWC Retrospective Plan
Marion County, Ohio, approves a resolution to adopt a Bureau of Workers’ Compensation Retrospective plan aimed at gaining it “significant savings.” Marion Star
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