Curated Content Articles of Interest from Around the Web

    Iowa Firm Admits to Workers’ Comp Insurance Violation

    Iowa Employer Pleads Guilty After Operating Without Workers’ Comp Coverage

    • Hawkeye Waste Systems admitted it operated without required workers’ compensation insurance after an employee died from head trauma on the job. 
    • Investigators discovered the lapse when the worker’s widow received a large medical bill because no coverage was in place. 
    • State officials confirmed the employer had neither a valid workers’ comp policy nor approval to self‑insure. 
    • The owner pleaded guilty to a felony charge tied to failing to maintain workers’ compensation coverage.

    READ MORE 

     

    Utah Bill Would Add THC Presumption to Workers’ Comp Claims

    • House Bill 281 would revise Utah’s workers’ compensation statute by creating a rebuttable presumption that cannabis or THC use contributed to a workplace injury when test results exceed a set threshold. 
    • It clarifies when benefits may be reduced or denied based on intoxication or employee misconduct. 
    • The measure also outlines testing standards and procedures for verifying results in contested claims. 
    • It further explains how injured workers may challenge the presumption through medical or evidentiary proof.

    READ MORE 

     

    Study Finds Injectable Therapies Rising as Major Workers’ Comp Cost Driver

    • Nearly four in 10 lost‑time workers’ compensation claims involved at least one injectable therapy within two years of injury. 
    • A new WCRI study found average payments varied widely by state, ranging from $362 in California to $2,404 in LouisianaWCRI – Workers Compensation Research Institute. 
    • Researchers said injectables are increasingly used as alternatives to surgery and oral pain medications. 
    • The report highlights their growing role as a significant medical cost driver in workers’ compensation.

    READ MORE