Quote of the day
"I acquiesce to the use of force to punish the state of California for engaging in atrocities, violence and terrorism.... The game is over. You lose."
Affidavit of Bruce Senator, of Stanton, Calif., who was arrested last September after authorities read transcripts of e-mails and court affidavits in which he complained that judges and other officials conspired to deny his workers' comp claims.
Orange County Man Gets 13 Years for Threatening WCAB Judges
A 52-year-old Stanton man who represented himself in a jury trial faces more than 13 years in prison after a jury convicts him of threatening two Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board judges. Prosecutors argued that workers’ comp judges William Whitely and Norman Delaterre, both of whom handled Bruce Senator’s case at one time or another, felt personally threatened by him and suffered “sustained fear.” By Larry Welborn, Orange County Register
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Appeals Court: WCAB Ruling Improperly Relied on ACOEM Guidelines
California’s First Appellate District Court of Appeals rejects a California Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board decision that improperly relied on American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine guidelines to conclude that a worker did not need spinal surgery for his chronic condition. The ACOEM guidelines on which the board relied on are for acute, lower back problems. By Roberto Ceniceros, Business Insurance
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Unitas’ Widow Speaks on Denial of Famed QB’s Disability Claim
The quarterback’s widow said yesterday that she has decided to tell the Hall of Famer’s story – the injuries, the pain and disappointment at having his disability claim denied – because it might help surviving teammates and others qualify for aid from the benefits system endorsed by the National Football League and its players union. By Jeff Barker, Baltimore Sun
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Minnesota Gets New Labor Commissioner
In Minnesota, former Republican House Speaker Steve Sviggum will become Minnesota’s commissioner of labor and industry after serving nearly three decades in the Legislature, Gov. Tim Pawlenty announces. His new job will put him in charge of the workers’ compensation system, workplace safety entities, labor laws and about 500 agency employees. By AP via Winona Daily News
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Scofflaw Coal Operator Sentenced to Prison, Restitution
An Eastern Kentucky coal operator who once had the highest total of unpaid safety fines in the country has been sentenced to three years in prison for fraud. A federal judge also orders 57-year-old Harold K. Simpson to pay $1.5 million in restitution to three insurers that provided workers’ compensation coverage for his coal operations. By Bill Estep, Lexington Herald-Leader
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In South Carolina, ‘Squeaking Wheels’ Got the Grease
Gov. Mark Sanford says South Carolina got its long-awaited workers’ compensation reform due to homebuilders associations, realtors and manufacturing sector employers, which were the “tipping point” in getting the legislation passed. The bill abolishes the Second Injury Fund, includes stronger language on repetitive trauma claims, and stricter requirements for medical expert testimony. By Kelly VanLeeuwen, Greenville News
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Plumber Sues Employer for Electrical Shock
A plumber who received an electrical shock while working under a house and claims his co-workers were negligent for failing to shut off the power sues his employer, who allegedly was not a subscriber of Texas Workers’ Compensation, for more than $75,000. By David Yates, Southeast Texas Record
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