Quote of the day
"Employees are walking, losing weight, and just making positive changes,"
Jerry Goldberg, managing partner of a law firm, discussing the results of his firm's new wellness program.
We hope you have enjoyed receiving your twice monthly edition of Workers’ Comp Executive and your daily news digests in your email. Starting Friday, WCE and the news digests will not be published for two weeks, so our editors can take some much needed vacation. We will not be publishing from July 4 through July 20th. We will resume publishing on July 21.
Empire State Workers’ Comp Law Awaits Gov’s Signature
In New York, legislation calling for creation of a guaranty fund for self-insured workers’ compensation trusts awaits Gov. David Paterson’s signature. The legislation follows the collapse of several self-insured trusts that were managed by Poughkeepsie-based administrator Compensation Risk Management LLC. By Eric Anderson, Albany Times Union
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Tennessee High Court Rules in Favor of Employer
A defunct company is not responsible for a former employee’s injuries, the Tennessee Supreme Court rules, finding that the worker failed to prove that her work at the employer, rather than her subsequent jobs, caused the carpal tunnel syndrome. State Gazette (Dyersburg, Tenn.)
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Georgia Court: Slain Court Reporter’s Family May Sue Sheriff
The Georgia Court of Appeals rules that the family of a court reporter who was killed in a 2005 courthouse shooting may sue the Fulton County sheriff for negligence. Lawyers for the county have argued that the sheriff could not be sued by the family of the court reporter because such litigation is barred by the federal Workers Compensation Act. By R. Robin McDonald, Fulton County Daily Report via Law.com
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Firms Jump on Wellness Incentive Bandwagon
The workplace is one of the most effective venues for promoting health and fitness, says the manager of the chronic disease and injury prevention department at Ontario’s Windsor-Essex County Health Unit. One local law firm’s wellness plan includes reimbursements for gym memberships, smoking cessation and weight-loss programs, in addition to information sessions yoga, stress relief, healthy eating and caring for aging parents. By Grace Macaluso, CanWest via Working.com (Canada)
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Competition Floods the Mountain State
BrickStreet Insurance Company is about to be joined by a raft of new insurance carriers all vying for a piece of the workers’ compensation pie. 140 insurance carriers have filed paper work with the West Virginia Insurance Commission. WVMetro News
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North Dakota Considers Privatization
After looking at the experience of West Virginia and Nevada, North Dakota is considering putting the kibosh on North Dakota’s monopoly workers’ compensation agency. Employees from the West Virginia Insurance Commission are planning to visit with North Dakota officials to discuss West Virginia’s experience. The Charleston Gazette
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Former North Dakota Workers’ Comp Director Back on the Hook
The North Dakota Supreme Court decides to reinstate charges against state workers’ comp director Sandy Blount. The Supreme Court says a district judge was mistaken when he dismissed charges against Blount for misspending agency money on bonuses for executives. Kxnet.com via the Associated Press
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Washington State to Send out Dividends
Washington State’s Department of Labor and Industries will mail out dividend checks to 100,000 employers. The dividends will total $37 million with each employer receiving an average of $266 each. 28,000 employers will receive a credit toward their next workers’ comp premium. Business Examiner
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