Lawyer Fees Set to Increase in New Mexico WC Cases

• New Mexico legislators have sent to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham a bill that would increase the size of attorney fees that can be collected in workers’ compensation cases.
• HB 66 would also increase the amount of money that can be advanced by employers for discovery costs to both parties for gathering evidence.
• An industry task force of insurance company representatives and others involved in the workers’ compensation system recommended to raise attorney fee caps from $22,500 to $30,000. It also recommended raising the discovery cost advance from $3,000 to $3,500.
• Permissible attorneys’ fees have not increased since 2013, Wirth said, and this bill adjusts for inflation.
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Connecticut, Montana Advance Bills Giving PTSD WC Benefits

• The Connecticut Legislature’s Labor and Public Employees Committee have approved a bill expanding workers’ compensation benefits to cover post-traumatic stress injuries for workers who witness a serious bodily injury.
• The bill adds “witnessing a serious physical injury to a person that does not result in the death or permanent disfigurement of such person” as a qualifying event for workers’ compensation coverage.
• The Connecticut Business Insurance Association said the bill could increase employers’ premium costs and makes the state an outlier, as other states seem to be moving in the opposite direction.
• The legislature’s Judiciary Committee is also reviewing a bill expanding workers’ compensation coverage for cervical spine injuries, increasing partial permanent disability ratings for a cervical neck injury from 117 weeks to 208 weeks.
• Meanwhile, Montana legislators are mulling giving additional workers’ compensation coverage to first responders accessing treatment for PTSD.
• Supporters say it’s fiscally responsible for the state while opponents say adding more WC benefits could be a financial burden to the state’s budget.
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Ohio Farm Bureau Remind WC Group Rating Participants of Training Requirement

• The Ohio Farm Bureau said members enrolled in its Workers’ Compensation Group Rating program are required to complete a minimum of two hours of training by June 30.
• To help the members meet that requirement, it is recommending stand-alone Farm Bureau video courses covering: Farm Equipment and Rural Road Safety; Agritourism Liability and Ag Crime Prevention; and, Contingency Planning and Avoiding Taking on Other’s Liabilities.
• The two-hour requirement can also be met by attending programs at next month’s Ohio Safety Congress & Expo.
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