Quote of the day
“We have first responders who are getting post-traumatic stress disorder because of their job. We also know they can’t get the support they need under Ohio’s current workers’ comp law.”
Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder
Ohio House approves workers’ comp budget with changes
The Ohio House of Representatives last week approved a two-year $644.6 million budget for the state’s Bureau of Workers Compensation, that includes a last-minute addition aimed at making it harder for illegal aliens to file a workers’ compensation claim. Cleveland American
Ohio: Youngstown woman among six charged with workers’ compensation fraud
A Youngstown, Ohio woman recently pleaded guilty to workers’ compensation fraud after investigators found her working as a call center employee while receiving workers’ compensation. Five other individuals recently pleaded guilty as well to workers’ comp fraud. WKBN (Youngstown, Ohio)
Physical therapy fraud trial begins in Texas
A man who runs San Antonio-based physical therapy clinics went on trial Thursday, fighting charges that he tried to defraud the federal workers’ compensation program out of millions of dollars by claiming services that were not provided. The 51-year-old business owner is also accused of using the identity of a doctor without permission to register his clinics in the program. mySA (San Antonio)
New law may help cancer-stricken Texas firefighters
In Houston, the firefighters union says 100 percent of cancer workers’ compensation claims have been denied by the city, and the statewide denial rate is 90 percent. Texas’ list of firefighting-related cancers is one of the shortest in the country, but if a new bipartisan bill that recently passed the state legislature is signed by the governor, eight cancers will be added to the list and cities will have to prove firefighting was not a cause of the cancer. KTRK (Houston) [with video]
Oklahoma: Workers’ comp seminar set for June 14
A complimentary workers’ compensation seminar, approved for continuing education credits by the Oklahoma, Arkansas and Texas Insurance Commissions, is set for 8 a.m. June 14 at Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club. According to one of the attorneys running the seminar, it is designed to help employers grasp how recent workers’ compensation law changes can impact their workplace and operations. Oklahoman
Michigan workers’ comp: Intentional tort
The Michigan Court of Appeals, in an unpublished opinion, recently ruled that where a plaintiff brought suit over injuries he sustained during the course of his employment, the complaint adequately alleged an intentional tort under the state’s Workers’ Disability Compensation Act. Michigan Lawyers Weekly [may require registration]