News

While the majority of workers compensation claims for COVID-19 during the first year of the pandemic involved a mild infection and no hospitalization, the Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California reports that coronavirus claims with medical payments were more likely to involve hospitalization, intensive care and fatalities. “As a result, the average medical payments per COVID-19 claim during the…

The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Department of Justice to weigh in on whether workers compensation insurers should reimburse for medical marijuana. Specifically, the court is considering requests to review Minnesota Supreme Court decisions holding that employers can’t be compelled to reimburse injured workers for medical cannabis because it would require them to violate federal law. Before it…

The COVID-19 omicron variant appears to be waning and several states have lifted their mask mandates in recent weeks, but legislators are just getting started when it comes to the pandemic and workers compensation. Since state lawmakers went back to work in January, more than a dozen pieces of new or revived pieces of legislation have been filed, and more…

A bill before Illinois lawmakers this year would address recent court decisions finding that workers’ compensation exclusivity does not preclude claims for damages under the Biometric Information Privacy Act. H.B. 5396 would declare that if a worker brings an action against an employer for violations of the privacy act, the worker’s entitlement to relief shall be determined under the state’s…