Ohio’s private employers to save $71.5M on workers’ comp
Private employers in Ohio will pay nearly $72 million less in premiums to the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation next fiscal year under a 7.1 percent rate reduction the agency’s Board of Directors approved in February. The reduction, the fourth consecutive for private employers since 2018 and the twelfth since 2008, became effective late last month, at the start of state fiscal year 2022. The Chronicle (Elyria, Ohio)
Pennsylvania court orders workers’ comp judge reinstated after clash with major law firm
Pennsylvania’s Commonwealth Court has ruled that a Philadelphia workers’ compensation judge should get her job back. Andrea McCormick was fired in October 2018 after a Philadelphia-based workers’ comp law firm lodged complaints about her with senior officials in Governor Tom Wolf’s administration. The firm’s complaints prompted state officials in 2017 to look at more than 100 of her cases involving the firm. Philadelphia Inquirer
Connecticut enacts law to expand PTSD coverage for frontline employees
Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont recently signed a law expanding workers’ compensation to frontline employees, an expansion of the 2019 law that allowed police and firemen who witness certain traumatic events in the line of duty to apply for workers’ compensation. Previously, mental health was only covered by if the employee also suffered a physical injury. The new law includes paramedics, EMTs, correction officers and emergency dispatchers. NBC Connecticut
Family of fallen New York fireman wins workers’ comp, death benefits
The family of a Whitehall, New York firefighter, who died in the line of duty after suffering a torn aorta when responding to a fire in May 2020, was awarded workers’ compensation and death benefits last week when a judge ruled the injury was caused by his fire department service. While recovering, he was confined to a wheelchair and had the use of only his right arm after three strokes. He died in September. Post Star
New Mexico: Former state employee alleges retaliation over workers’ comp claim
A former New Mexico state employee says she contracted COVID-19 on the job when she was required to come into the office just to move furniture in December when the state was experience a surge in infections She claims her former employer, New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department, is refusing to pay her workers’ compensation and that she was forced out of her job for filing the claim. KRQE (Albuquerque)
Jersey Shore mail carrier charged with workers’ comp fraud
Prosecutors allege a 38-year-old New Jersey mail carrier ran her own business while collecting $150,000 in workers’ compensation for a purported knee injury before an undercover detective caught her. Daily Voice
Florida issues stop-work to pool contractor
The state of Florida earlier this month issued a stop work order to a pool contractor for failure to have workers’ compensation insurance. A spokesman said the company has insurance, but that policy wasn’t active until July 2. As part of the stop work order being lifted, the company would also have to pay a fine of at least $1,000, depending on how long the company worked without insurance. WFLA (Tampa)