Quote of the day
"In consulting several experts in the field, they've told me we're missing the point."
Wyoming Sen. John Hastert, D-Green River, regarding mental injuries, which currently are covered under workers' compensation only if a physical injury occurred first and was the cause of the mental injury
Cowboy State Considers Reforming Laws on Mental Injuries
Wyoming lawmakers meet to discuss proposed changes to coverage, under the state workers’ compensation program, of work-related mental injuries. The draft legislation is aimed at changing current laws that limit coverage. One state legislator says it’s a particular concern among Wyoming firefighters, paramedics and other emergency responders who are exposed to traumatic situations daily. By Dustin Bleizeffer, Jackson Hole Star-Tribune
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Michigan High Court Denies Workers’ Comp to Focus: HOPE Worker
The Michigan Supreme Court rules that a Detroit woman who worked for Focus: HOPE was not entitled to workers’ compensation payments because her mental disability injury arose from “intentional and willful misconduct.” The ruling arouse from her refusal to attend an office event, an annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. birthday celebration, in Dearborn, based on her reported belief that the history of Dearborn in race relations was not consistent with Dr. King’s aspirations. By Robert Ankeny, Crain’s Detroit Business
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Prosecutors: Woman Operated Business While Collecting Benefits
Connecticut authorities charge a 42-year-old Roxbury woman with defrauding the state workers’ compensation system of more than $200,000 in wage and medical benefits since suffering a work-related injury in 1988 while working for a bus company. Investigators say they bought plants and shrubbery from the woman and saw her participate with her husband in the day-to-day operation of her home-based business.
Go to the full story in the Waterbury Republican American
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New York WCB Employee Nabbed for Suspected Computer Theft
A 49-year-old employee of the New York State Workers’ Compensation Board faces charges of stealing nearly $3,000 worth of state computer equipment. WRGB-TV (Albany)
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Workforce Safety and Insurance
North Dakota’s workers’ compensation agency, will resume using independent judges to review disputes over injury benefits. The agency’s director says it will use will use North Dakota’s Office of Administrative Hearings to handle appeals. KXNet (Minot)
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