A construction crane company will not have to pay increased workers’ comp benefits to a worker injured when a crane dismantling operation went awry. California’s First District Court of Appeal found no serious and willful misconduct on the part of the employer. The decision reverses a notable Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board (WCAB) decision that upheld …
The city of Elk Grove has had its workers’ comp with the State Compensation Insurance Fund since it first incorporated as a city a decade ago. But that relationship is over. Faced with a double-digit rate hike, the Sacramento suburb opted to explore its options and is switching its coverage to Travelers. All the due diligence …
Employers who become experience rated show a “small but statistically significant” improvement in workplace safety in comparison to similar firms that remain unrated. That’s the preliminary finding from a forthcoming study, and this begs the question: Should the experience rating threshold be lowered to bring more employers into the rating pool and make California workplaces …
A Northern California contractor agreed to pay $3.9 million to settle charges from the Attorney General’s office that it shortchanged its employees and cheated its workers’ comp carrier out of its due. The case against Country Builders in Livermore stemmed from a 2008 complaint filed by employees who noted that their pay stubs showed a …
Three key executives behind the San Francisco Bay Area-based Posh Bagel chain of bagel shops and a commercial bakery were arrested last week and charged with multiple counts of workers’ comp insurance premium fraud. The crew was accused of running two sets of books and using dummy corporations to hide payroll from its insurance carriers. …
The initial flurry of 2010 new and renewal policies is behind us, and brokers say results show that carriers continue to tighten their underwriting and are ratcheting back on use of schedule credits. And, say brokers, final prices that some employers are paying are adversely impacted by recent changes to the experience modification (X-Mod) rating plan …
The Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California (WCIRB) is using a new formula to promulgate employers’ 2010 experience modifications (X-Mods). The move is part of Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner’s plan to improve employer understanding of the X-Mod process and therefore encourage employers to improve safety at their workplaces as a way to reduce costs. …
Lobbyists and legislators plan to bring back some workers’ comp bills that stalled last year, but not for lack of interest. New studies, revelations on permanent-disability discussions and some strategic tinkering (it is hoped) will improve the debate and get final action on several bills. A couple of bills on temporary disability and return-to-work left …