Quote of the day
"A prime target is what these people have made of themselves."
South Carolina GOP Chairman Katon Dawson, about senate Democrats who oppose workers' comp overhaul
South Carolina Republicans Pressure Democrats on Reform
With an eye toward the 2008 elections, the South Carolina Republican Party makes a list of state senate Democrats who purportedly oppose overhauling workers’ compensation. Republicans have an ally in Gov. Mark Sanford, who has recorded a telephone message for 100,000 homes in Senate districts where legislators don’t want the reform. By Jim Davenport, AP via Charlotte (N.C.) Observer
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S.C. Bill Sponsor Holds Out Little Hope
The chief South Carolina Senate sponsor of a measure that would eliminate the state’s Second Injury Fund says the latest incarnation of the proposal is more expensive than the original will have to be reworked. By Jim Davenport, AP via Myrtle Beach Sun
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Commentary: Workers’ Comp System Killing S.C. Competitiveness
Five years ago, South Carolina had one of the lowest workers’ compensation rates in the country. Now, the unpredictable system is taking the state out of the running compared to neighboring states in recruiting and retaining new business. By Tim Justice, Greenville News
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Dakota Dems Call Agency’s Entertainment Kitty a Slush Fund
North Dakota House Republicans say the state Workforce Safety and Insurance agency should have $50,000 set aside for employee gifts, parties and training, despite protests by Democrats that it’s a “slush fund” for an agency that already wastes money on dubious expenses. The proposal’s sponsor says state guidelines are unclear, but if a major employer meets with agency officials, they should be able to spring for lunch without fear of criticism. By Dale Wetzel, AP via Fargo Forum
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Floridian Allegedly Used Dead Relative’s Identity to Collect Comp
The Florida Division of Insurance Fraud charges a man with fraudulently filing workers’ compensation claims for 10 years after a job-related head injury. The man allegedly used his deceased uncle’s name and Social Security card to apply for jobs and collect more than $43,000 in benefits. By George McGinn, All Headline News
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Flight Attendant Alleges Retaliation by American for Her CO Claim
A former flight attendant files a personal-injury lawsuit against American Airlines, claiming that it fired her in retaliation for filing a workers’ compensation claim when she suffered carbon-monoxide poisoning on a March 2006 flight from Dallas to Denver. The carrier claims she lost her job for lying about her medical condition after she was videotaped standing on a step-stool, painting her home. By Melissa Vargas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram
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Indian Tech Firms Target Ergonomic Hazards
Indian companies are starting to reap the cost benefits of addressing work-related repetitive strain injuries and musculoskeletal disorders among employees. By Nupur Amarnath, Business Standard
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Dominant Maryland Workers’ Comp Insurer Names New CEO
IWIF Workers’ Compensation Insurance, the largest workers’ compensation insurer in Maryland, names chief financial officer Thomas Phelan its new chief executive officer. Under Phelan’s tenure as CFO since 2002, the agency experienced a positive financial turnaround. By Rachel Sams, Baltimore Business Journal
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