Company takes ‘em bowling then pays big for comp
Imagine this: A company sponsors a Family Fun night of bowling for its employees and their families to improve morale. One employee injures his back while bowling. Does he get workers’ comp because...
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Can she really just sit at home and collect comp?
In some states, when workers are placed on permanent partial disability, it’s expected that injured employees will make a “good-faith effort” to find alternate employment they can perform. However,...
View ArticleCasino worker’s back injury was aggravated by dealing cards
Here’s proof that workplace injuries happen in the service industry, too. And those injuries can lead to workers’ comp claims. A casino dealer at Harrah’s Metropolis Casino in Illinois claimed she hurt...
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Worker delayed injury report, says it happened right before vacation
When workers don’t report injuries right away and then apply for workers’ comp benefits, it often raises a red flag. With conflicting testimony, these cases often come down to which side the court...
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When injuries and layoffs collide: Who pays?
A worker slipped and fell, and sustained multiple injuries including one to her back. While the worker was still healing, she lost her job in a mass layoff. Does she still get comp payments? Vivian...
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No proof whatsoever: Does worker still get comp?
When no one witnesses a workplace injury and the injured employee files for workers’ comp, sometimes all you have to go on is the worker’s story. The situation can become more complicated when the...
View ArticleWorker fired after injury: Jury awards him $3.6M
Did this company fire a worker for seeking medical treatment for a workplace injury, or was this a case of miscommunication? A jury made the call. Larry Holland, a facility supervisor at Schwan’s Home...
View ArticleInjured worker didn’t report previous back problem: Will she get comp?
A hospital aide injured her back when lifting a patient. She applied for workers’ comp benefits. However, her employer said she didn’t deserve the benefits because she didn’t list a previous injury on...
View ArticleDetective denied workers’ comp: Was injury work-related?
A police detective faces months of unpaid leave in a dispute with his employer over whether an injury should be covered by workers’ comp. Adam Toops, a police detective for Montclair, NJ, had spine...
View ArticleDueling doctors: Whose opinion will court believe?
An employee’s doctor says she suffered a workplace injury. The insurance company’s doctor says she didn’t. Who will the court believe, and will the employee get workers’ comp? There’s a lesson in this...
View ArticleWas pain medicine overdose work-related?
An employee was prescribed pain meds for a workplace injury. He’d also been taking a medication for depression. An accidental overdose of both meds caused his death. Can his widow get survivor’s...
View ArticleMechanic caught red-handed … make that greasy-handed, defrauding workers’ comp
A Pennsylvania man will spend time in prison now that a jury has convicted him of workers’ comp fraud. When he was arrested working as an auto mechanic, his uniform was covered in grease. David Good of...
View ArticleHow do you know back injury happened on-the-job?
An employee reported a back injury from lifting a box. When he was awarded workers’ comp benefits, the company said there was no proof the injury occurred on the job. Corey Cruz worked as a sorter for...
View ArticleFormer police officer played baseball while on workers’ comp: He’s going to jail
A judge has sentenced a former police officer to jail after he pleaded guilty to workers’ comp fraud. Video showed him playing baseball. Edward Idukas, a former Oxnard, CA, officer, had just come back...
View ArticleDid company fire injured worker because he was on light duty?
If an injured worker who is on light duty breaks a company rule, can you fire him without incurring extra workers’ compensation costs? Darren Pollack worked for Southern Wine & Spirits of America...
View ArticleInjured falling down stairs: Eligible for workers’ comp?
An employee had previously injured his knee off the job. One day at work while walking down stairs, his knee gave out and he injured his back. Should workers’ comp cover his injuries? John Simons...
View ArticleDoes training help workers identify ergonomic risks?
Many companies provide ergonomics training to employees to help them identify risk factors for injuries. Until recently, there had only been one study on the effectiveness of this type of safety...
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Hurt his back tying shoelace: Can he get workers’ comp?
An employee who was on the clock bent over to tie his shoelace and felt a pop in his back. After that he had two back surgeries and applied for workers’ comp. Read how a company safety policy factored...
View ArticleInjured back at work then fired: Can she get workers’ comp?
An employee injured her back at work. There’s no question the injury was work-related. But her employer wants to prohibit her from receiving temporary total disability benefits because five days after...
View ArticleWill company have to pay more for workers’ comp 9 years later?
An example of how tricky back injuries can be: A worker injured his back in 2005. A court had to determine if his current pain is related to the incident nine years ago. Joseph Whitney suffered a back...
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