Baltimore out more than $26K after fraudulent payments made from workers’ comp account
The city of Baltimore has lost more than $26,000 after several fraudulent payments were made from its workers’ compensation claims checking account between November 2020 and January 2022. At the time, the city was paying a third-party vendor to manage the account, and its law department also had an employee to oversee the contract, but neither apparently noticed the fraudulent charges. WMAR
New York business community criticizes workers’ compensation legislation
New legislation in New York that would define temporary total disability as an inability to perform the job is facing opposition from business groups. Supporters of the law say it would benefit injured employees because the previous law was being interpreted too narrowly. Employment attorneys say it would be a workaround for the 10-year cap on disability compensation, part of a sweeping 2007 workers’ compensation package to remedy high costs to employers and low pay to injured employees. Albany Times Union
Washington State loses bid to broaden workers’ comp for Hanford nuclear site employees
The United States Supreme Court has ruled that a state law aimed at protecting nuclear waste employees of the decommissioned Hanford nuclear facility in southern Washington is unconstitutional under the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution, and discriminates against the government. In 2018, Washington legislators created the law to make it easier for such employees to get compensation for their injuries. Courthouse News