Quote of the day
"The residential jobs are terrible. You get the guy who's a sub of a sub of a sub of a sub and there's no way he has worker's comp insurance for him or any of his guys. You get one guy with a green card who's the jefe [boss], and he has 10 guys working under him and he just distributes the cash. They're not going to file [workers' comp] claims."
Vail, Colo., subcontractor in Vail who asked to remain anonymous because of possible repercussions from employers
Abuse of Undocumented Workers: Vail Valley’s ‘Dirty Little Secret’
In the Colorado mountains, where high-dollar hotel projects and trophy homes continue to sprout like mushrooms, there is a rarely-discussed crisis. According to some advocates, attorneys and even contractors, it is evasion of workers’ compensation laws by subcontractors who dump injured workers at emergency rooms to avoid claims and premium increases. By David O. Williams, RealVail.com [with photo] Go to the Full Story…
N.D. Legislature Looks at Permanent Partial Impairment Awards
Dean “Tony” Johannesen lost much of the vision of his left eye in a workplace accident, but was unable to get any reparation for that loss from North Dakota workers’ compensation. The reason: His loss of sight was rated a 10 percent diminishment of his whole body function, well below the 16 percent threshold to qualify for what is called a permanent partial impairment award. By Patrick Springer, Fargo Forum [may require registration] Go to the Full Story…
Utah Judge Douses Waterboarding Lawsuit on Technicality
A judge dismisses a lawsuit by a Provo, Utah man who claims that his boss waterboarded him as part of a motivational exercise. The company contends that the claims should be covered under the state Workers Compensation Act. The lawsuit was dismissed without prejudice, which means it can be re-filed. By Jeremy Duda, Provo Daily Herald
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Bay State Contractor
A Peabody, Mass., painting and roofing company pleads guilty to failing to obtain a workers’ compensation insurance and agreed to pay 69 workers more than $48,700 in back wages as part of a settlement reached with the state attorney general. Olympic Painting & Roofing made the news last December for painting Mitt Romney’s mansion despite an ongoing state investigation into its hiring practices. By Maria Sacchetti, Boston Globe
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CRM Reports 40.9% Earnings Decline
CRM Holdings Ltd. posts a 40.9 percent decline in earnings, much of which relates to its fee-based management services segment. The company this year agreed to surrender its license to administer workers’ comp self-insurance trusts on behalf of employer groups in New York after charges of improper performance were brought by the state Workers’ Compensation Board. By Craig Wolf, Poughkeepsie Journal
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Tasmania Tourism Minister’s Former Lover Seeks Payout
In Tasmania, attorneys for Tourism and Economic Development Minister Paula Wriedt’s former lover and ministerial driver confirm that their client may pursue court action if the state rejects his workers’ compensation claim, reportedly for lost income or unfair dismissal. By Michael Stedman, Mercury (Australia)
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