A landlord whose tenant’s pit bulls bit a mail carrier isn’t liable for damages, the Court of Appeals of Indiana ruled in affirming a trial court’s summary judgment ruling. Tiffance Fields, a Hammond United States Postal Service mail carrier, had filed a complaint for damages in Lake Superior Court after being attacked by two pit bulls on June 1, 2019….
An end to the pandemic national emergency does not mean an end to COVID-19 workers compensation claims, but claim activity has decreased dramatically, experts say. On April 10, President Joe Biden signed a resolution ending the national emergency related to the pandemic, which ended some temporary federal programming and waivers but left intact the public health emergency over the virus….
A reversal of a years-long trend that saw dips in drug use among injured workers, prescriptions in workers compensation inched up in 2022 with drug utilization per claim increasing 2.6%, costs per claim increasing 3.7%, and costs per prescription rising 1.1%, according to a report released Wednesday by Enlyte Group LLC. Enlyte, which provides comp services, also found the top…
A Coles County jury awarded Kiera Campbell, 19, and her parents, Todd and Jaime Campbell, $40 million as compensation for the severely disabling injuries she suffered as a result of delayed delivery during childbirth. Jurors reached the verdict after deliberating for just three hours following a three-week trial. They found that defendants Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center in Mattoon and…
Workers compensation medical payments per claim in numerous states decreased through 2020 and 2021, while indemnity benefits grew during that same time, reflecting economic changes during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to comp industry research released Tuesday. A package of studies released Tuesday by the Workers Compensation Research Institute compared medical payments, indemnity benefits and benefit…
Jobs with the highest rates of opioid overdose fatalities generally have high occupational injury rates and low access to paid sick leave, according to a research paper on the economic impacts of opioids released Monday by the Brookings Institution. Industries with the highest rates of overdose fatalities in the workplace have elevated occupational injury rates for fractures and musculoskeletal disorders,…
As summer approaches, workplace safety agencies and state lawmakers are seeking to formulate standards to protect workers from heat-related dangers on the job. Rising global temperatures, longer and more frequent heatwaves and increased heat-related workers compensation claims are driving advocates to push for more detailed and uniform standards addressing heat illness and injury in the workplace. The issue is playing…
A man is suing the Salem Township Hospital, claiming that doctors misdiagnosed his life-threatening condition and allowed it to worsen. Plaintiffs Michael and Jean Garden filed the lawsuit in the St. Clair County Circuit Court against Nancy Zutshi, M.D., Tracy Caswell, and Salem Township Hospital, citing negligence. According to the lawsuit, on May 14, 2022, Michael Garden, 65, went to…
A passenger is suing Alternative Transportation Systems, claiming he was seriously injured when his medical scooter flipped and fell on him while traveling to a dialysis appointment. Plaintiff Julius Walker filed the lawsuit in the St. Clair County Circuit Court against Alternative Transportation Systems, Inc and an ATS employee, citing negligence. According to the lawsuit, on Feb. 3, 2023, Walker…
A former refinery worker and smoker claims he was not warned about exposure to toxic chemicals on the job or toxic substances in light cigarettes, causing him to develop cancer. Plaintiffs Donald and Betty Bannister filed the lawsuit in the Madison County Circuit Court against John Crane Inc., Shell USA, Inc., Phillips 66 Company, 3M Company, Tyco Fire Products, Chemguard,…
