Quote of the day
"Believe me when I tell you, we do not inquire about the employees' documentation. That is not an issue that the court concerns itself with. We focus on the question of whether the employee was injured, and whether the employee was disabled. At last check, the citizenship status didn't answer any of those questions."
Rhode Island Workers' Compensation Court Chief Judge George E. Healy Jr., at a forum for community advocates
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Rhode Island Workers’ Comp Judge Soothes Fears of Illegal Workers
The Rhode Island Workers’ Compensation Court does not check the immigration status of complainants, says the court’s chief judge at a community forum in Providence intended to allay immigrant workers’ fears about pursuing claims. Speakers discussed the recent case of an injured illegal worker who initially was deported after his employer allegedly notified immigration authorities but pursued a successful workers’ comp claim. By Karen Lee Ziner, Providence Journal [may require registration] Go to the Full Story…
Agreement Good News for South Carolina Employers
The South Carolina Small Business Chamber of Commerce and the S.C. Consumer Advocate reach an agreement with the state Department of Insurance and the National Council on Compensation Insurance to reduce NCCI’s requested increase in loss costs by 59 percent. The negotiation is expected to save small businesses at least $130 million in premiums. Times and Democrat (Orangeburg, S.C.)
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Illinois Market Manager Sues for Wrongful Termination
A former assistant manager of a Downstate Illinois market files a wrongful termination suit in St. Clair County Circuit Court, alleging that he lost his job as punishment for handling another employee’s workers’ compensation claim paperwork. By Ann Knef, Madison – St. Clair Record
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CRM Pays $96K Penalty to New York Regulators
Compensation Risk Managers LLC has paid a $96,110 penalty to the New York Insurance Department for allegedly violating state insurance law by acting as an independent adjuster without the proper license and compensating employees who acted as independent adjusters without the proper licenses, Insurance Superintendent Eric Dinallo announces. By Craig Wolf, Poughkeepsie Journal
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Extraordinary Bout of Injuries Strains Michigan Sheriff’s Department
An uncanny run of bad luck started seven months ago for Bay County, Mich., Sheriff John E. Miller, when the first of 10 employees who collected workers’ compensation in April struck a deer with his cruiser. By AP via South Bend Tribune
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Canadian Ag Producer Opposes Mandatory Coverage Law
Keystone Agricultural Producers is speaking up against mandatory workers’ compensation coverage for Manitoba farmworkers, on grounds that family members are usually involved in farms. As a result, the compensation provider would not be independent of the recipient. Pembina Valley Online
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