Truck driver sues for wrongful termination

• An Illinois man claims he was terminated from his employment after seeking workers’ comp benefits after he injured his wrist.
• The main filed the lawsuit in the Madison County Circuit Court against Terminal Transport Inc., Transport Leasing/Contract, Inc., Payroll Plus Corporation, The Labor Source Inc. and the TLC Companies.
• The trucker experienced a pop in his wrist while cranking up a trailer and was later diagnosed with a ganglion cyst and carpal tunnel syndrome in his right upper extremity.
• Cook reported his injury to his employer and expressed intent to assert his rights under the Illinois workers’ comp law. However, he alleges that he was wrongfully terminated from his job in retaliation.
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Baum named CWCI Chief Operating Officer

• Gideon L. Baum was named Chief Operating Officer of the California Workers’ Compensation Institute.
• Baum will manage CWCI’s day-to-day operations and provide support and expertise to the Research and IT departments on designated projects.
• Baum joins CWCI after having spent the past several years as the Vice President of Policy at the California Hospital Association, where he served as that organization’s lead on labor and human resource issues.
• Before that role, he was the Staff Director for the California Senate Committee on Labor, Public Employment, and Retirement, and worked as a Committee Consultant with the State Senate for nearly 15 years.
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New return-to-work requirements for injured workers

• A new law that took effect Jan. 1 aims to ensure workers can return to their jobs after suffering a workplace injury in British Columbia.
• The requirements will help restore workers to their previous employment status after suffering an injury on the job and are expected to support a more effective workers’ comp system within the province.
• All employers and injured workers in B.C. will have a new legal duty to cooperate with WorkSafeBC to ensure workers can return to their previous jobs or other suitable work.
• An employer with 20 or more workers who have an employee for at least one year before an injury occurs will have an obligation to maintain that worker’s employment.
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Texas city changes workers’ comp provision

• The city of Frisco, Texas, has changed its workers’ comp policy to satisfy recently implemented state law for first responders who endure work-related injuries.
• The ordinance adopted by the City Council creates a separate policy for police officers, firefighters, and emergency medical service employees.
• It also puts in place two provisions required by law — one year of paid leave for a work-related illness or injury and one year of light duty while recovering from a disability.
• The bill was initiated because of two Frisco firefighters, one with cancer and another who suffered a broken back while on duty.
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