Quote of the day
"What we see is that it fails to address some of the fundamental, basic problems of the workers' comp system. Right now it allows cases to go on for years, it allows insurance companies to cut benefits, stop benefits, and close cases with no reason."
Joanne Lum, National Mobilization Against Sweatshops, regarding New York's workers' compensation system overhaul
Arizona Lawmakers Incentivize Employer Drug Testing Programs
The Arizona House of Representatives approves a bill that would allow workers’ compensation insurers to give policyholders a 5-percent discount for having drug-testing programs. The measure—a reaction to the inability of employers to block workers’ comp benefits to injured employees who test positive for drugs or alcohol—is awaiting a full vote of the Arizona Senate. By Howard Fischer, Arizona Republic
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Advocates Blast Empire State’s Reform Deal
Workers’ rights advocates argue that New York’s workers’ compensation overhaul, which the state legislature passed this week and which Gov. Eliot Spitzer is expected to sign, does not do enough to correct existing problems and will not help workers. NY1 [With Video] Go to the Full Story…
New Mexico WCA Files Fraud Indictments
The New Mexico Workers’ Compensation Administration files criminal felony indictments against two individuals this week in Albuquerque for allegedly fraudulently collecting workers’ compensation benefits. New Mexico Business Weekly
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Ladle Attack Victim Can Collect Workers’ Comp
A 51-year-old restaurant cook who was seriously injured when an angry co-worker bashed him with a large ladle can receive workers’ compensation for his resulting brain injury and paralysis, the Ninth District Ohio Court of Appeals rules. A lower court had ruled that the injury was not employment-related. By Karen Farkas, Cleveland Plain Dealer
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Brain-Damaged Aussie Worker’s Case Illustrates Payout Controversy
An Australian housepainter who won delayed compensation of around $709,000 (USD) for brain damage and other injuries he suffered in a 1999 roof fall would have seen his damage award cut significantly under controversial restrictions on payouts that have since been introduced in New South Wales, says the president of the state bar association. By Chris Merritt and Brendan O’Keefe, the Australian
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Court Deals Nova Scotia Casino Worker Bad Hand
A former Halifax, N.S., casino worker loses another round her quest for workers’ compensation for injuries she claims she sustained from spinning roulette wheels and dealing cards and chips, as her case goes back before the provincial Workers’ Compensation Appeals Tribunal. The employer disputes the worker’s claims that the injuries were the result of high humidity that caused tabletops to become sticky and longer shifts.
Go to the full story by Bill Power, Chronicle Herald (Halifax, Nova Scotia)
Go to the full story by Canadian Press via OHS Canada