Quote of the day
"I did not have an 'accident' while working. I was subjected to an offensive attack by an enemy of the U.S. government who attempted to kill me. Why am I under workers' comp if workers' comp does not recognize a combat injury?"
Mike Helms, Army counterintelligence agent who was wounded by a roadside bomb in Iraq and has been denied vital medical care.
Q&A: Should Injured Worker Still Sue?
A Los Angeles-area lawyer responds to a badly injured worker who is being encouraged to file a third-party claim for damages not covered by workers’ compensation. By Ron Sokol, Daily Breeze (Torrance)
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Injured in Iraq, Government Civilians Left in the Lurch
A civilian Army counterintelligence expert who was injured by a roadside bomb in Iraq has faced years of frustration in the federal workers’ compensation system in addition to being turned down for care at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. His case may be emblematic of other civilian government employees who perform essential tasks including maintaining and repairing equipment, providing technical expertise on new weapon systems and conducting investigations, and who are mired in bureaucracies unprepared to care for them after a combat injury. By Ann Scott Tyson, Washington Post
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Q&A: Workers’ Comp Coverage While Using Own Car
An employer tells an employee that if she is involved in an accident while in her personal vehicle, on company time and business, she will not be covered by workers’ compensation. Is this legal? By Harry Wessel, Orlando Sentinel
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Cost Control Tip: Keep in Touch with Injured Workers
The immediate supervisor of an injured employee is an obvious but often overlooked factor in controlling workers’ compensation costs. Injured workers who feel alienated by the employers’ reaction to their claim might be uncooperative, stay off work longer, and have more frequent re-occurrences. By Jon Beckham, Greenville (S.C.) News
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Legislative Solution Sought to West Virginia’s Post-Privatization Woes
In West Virginia, where employers are complaining about higher premium costs and one legislator says BrickStreet Mutual is mismanaged, fewer doctors and lawyers appear to be willing to deal with workers’ compensation cases in the privatized system. Will the state legislature respond? By Mannix Porterfield, Beckley Register-Herald
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Province Mulls Compensating Cancer-Stricken Workers
Responding to a campaign by a firefighters’ association, the Newfoundland and Labrador government is considering legislation that would compensate some workers diagnosed with job-related cancer. CBC News [With Photo] Go to the Full Story…
WorksafeBC’s Surplus Is Good News for Employers
British Columbia’s workers’ compensation system is enjoying a significant cash surplus, prompting WorksafeBC to offer employers an 8 percent reduction in premiums on average. While some advocates contend the surplus should go toward boosting benefits for injured workers, a WorksafeBC official says that’s not going to happen. Canadian Press via CBC News
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Study: Safer Lifting Techniques Well-Intentioned but Pointless
Finnish researchers conclude employer attempts to push programs that teach safer lifting techniques and material handling devices do not effectively prevent back pain, a major contributor to workers’ compensation claims. One explanation could be that “safer” lifting techniques do not really exist, says the lead author of the study. By Katherine Torres, Occupational Hazards
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