Workers’ Compensation

An insurer has no duty to indemnify a construction company over a carpenter’s fatal fall because an employee injury exclusion bars coverage, an Illinois appeals court ruled Wednesday. Ramiro Godinez, a carpenter arriving for his first day at a Waukegan hotel construction project on Sept. 19, 2017, fell more than 20 feet while retrieving tools from a plywood box raised…

An Illinois appeals court on Monday upheld workers compensation benefits for an ice cream plant employee who broke his foot while walking in sandals to a break room to charge his phone. Shawn Anderson had clocked in at Ice Cream Specialties Inc. on Oct. 3, 2022, but had not changed into his work boots when he headed toward the break…

Workers with less than two years on the job accounted for 54% of workers compensation injuries in 2022-2024, despite representing roughly one-third of the workforce, according to a Workers Compensation Research Institute report released Wednesday. Nearly four in 10 injuries occurred during employees’ first year with an employer, including 16% during their first three months, the Waltham, Massachusetts-based institute found….

Falls accounted for 844 workplace deaths in 2024, including 666 falls to a lower level, according to a National Safety Council analysis released Thursday that examined injury and fatality events tied to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s most frequently cited safety standards. The council’s report draws on Bureau of Labor Statistics data to examine hazards associated with the OSHA’s…

An Illinois appeals court overturned a $165,353 workers compensation medical award and more than $46,000 in legal fees and costs, ruling that an injured worker was entitled only to reimbursement for amounts actually paid to his medical providers. In Jenkins v. McLaughlin Body Co., the Appellate Court of Illinois, Fourth District, ruled Wednesday that a lower court improperly based its…

An Indiana appeals court ruled that a parks employee who was injured after losing consciousness while driving a work vehicle is entitled to workers compensation benefits. In Harrison County Parks & Recreation v. David Hussung, the Indiana Court of Appeals on Friday affirmed a Workers’ Compensation Board finding that Mr. Hussung’s injuries arose out of his employment, even though his…

A bipartisan group of federal lawmakers has introduced legislation that would significantly expand eligibility and benefits under the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, including increasing certain payments to $150,000 and extending the program for 15 years. H.R. 10115, introduced Monday, would expand compensation for people exposed to radiation from atmospheric nuclear testing, Manhattan Project waste and other nuclear-related activities. The bill…

Comorbid health conditions are contributing to longer disability periods and substantially higher medical costs in workers compensation claims, yet the conditions often remain underreported in part due to communication gaps among patients, medical providers, and insurers and employers, according to experts. “We’re not asking, and they’re not telling us,” said Mark Williams, Scarborough, Maine-based medical director at The Hartford, during…

Companies that layer multiple contractor safety and risk management programs can substantially reduce serious injuries and fatalities, according to a white paper released Thursday by a company that manages supply chain risk. The findings point to the value of using several safety controls together rather than relying on a single contractor screening or compliance measure, with Avetta identifying the layered…