Ergonomic Strategies Aim to Reduce Workers’ Comp Claims Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) remain one of the leading causes of workers’ compensation claims across industries.  Preventive strategies such as ergonomic workplace design, employee training, and early intervention can significantly reduce injury rates.  By addressing risk factors like repetitive motion and poor posture, employers can lower claim costs […]

Michigan Supreme Court Blocks Workers’ Comp for Undocumented Immigrants The Michigan Supreme Court on December 12 refused to take up a case that challenged the state’s denial of workers’ compensation benefits for undocumented immigrants.  The Michigan Immigrant Rights Center had argued that injured workers shouldn’t be excluded from protections, but the justices voted 4‑3 to […]

Fire Chief Files Federal Lawsuit Tied to Workers’ Comp Dispute Shawnee Township Fire Chief Austin Miller filed a federal lawsuit alleging his suspension was unlawful and linked to retaliation over a firefighter’s workers’ compensation history.  The suit claims trustees revoked firefighter Brian Bailey’s training request because of prior comp claims, and Miller was punished after […]

Ex‑Correction Officer Pleads Guilty in $70K Workers’ Comp Fraud A former New York correction officer admitted in Washington County Court to faking workplace injuries and pocketing nearly $70,000 in workers’ comp benefits.  Former Great Meadow officer Jennifer Bardin‑Lapan said an inmate encounter left her with back, knee, and groin injuries, but video evidence contradicted her […]

Workers’ Comp Market Faces Rising Costs and New Risks in 2026 The U.S. workers’ compensation market faces rising medical costs, cumulative trauma claims, and reserve concerns in 2026.  New presumption laws, such as those covering PTSD, make claims more complicated, and hybrid work makes it harder to tell what counts as a workplace injury. Employers […]

Court Expands PTSD Workers’ Comp for Police A Pennsylvania court decision on December 8 significantly impacts workers’ compensation claims related to workplace trauma, particularly for first responders.  The court ruled a police sergeant deserved workers’ compensation for PTSD, saying that the entire traumatic event must be considered, not just a few separate moments. The court […]

Georgia Man Indicted for Pocketing Clients’ Workers’ Comp Premiums Emmanuel Torres Cruz, owner of “Dr. Taxes” in Valdosta, Georgia, was indicted for stealing workers’ comp premiums from his small-business clients.  As a tax preparer, he posed as an insurance agent, then collected money for insurance policies, and then pocketed the cash and handed out fake […]

  Court Rules Workplace Attacks Are Strictly Workers’ Comp The Georgia Court of Appeals ruled that a Dunkin’ Donuts worker who was assaulted and stabbed on the job cannot sue her employer separately.  The court said that workers’ compensation is the only way she can seek payment for her injuries. The worker subsequently sued the […]

Court Upholds Denial of Benefits for Firefighter’s Recurrent Back Injury The Delaware Supreme Court on December 4 upheld the denial of workers’ compensation benefits for a Wilmington firefighter’s 2023 back injury. The court found the injury was a recurrence of a 2015 injury rather than an aggravation from a new event. Because the firefighter had […]

  Nonprofit Safety Grants Awarded in Texas  Texas Mutual Insurance Company is doling out $4.4 million in a second round of funding to help nonprofits with workforce development and safety training.  The funds are being shared by 58 organizations around the state.  Texas Mutual has handed out nearly $9 million this year through the request […]