Alabama Senate Advances Education Workers’ Comp Bill

The Alabama Senate Finance and Taxation Education Committee approved a bill to create a workplace injury program for teachers and others in education
Teachers and other have to pay out of pocket for medical care if they are injured on the job and then request reimbursement from the state Board of Adjustment
The bill would create the Public Education Employee Injury Compensation Board
Covered workers include education employees in K-12 schools, bus drivers and community colleges
The full Senate will consider the bill next
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The West Virginia Supreme Court issued a decision affirming a Workers’ Compensation Office of Judges decision that upheld the actions of a claims administrator.
The claims administrator had denied adding post-traumatic stress disorder as a compensable condition
Denied a request for a second mental health evaluation
Denied a second opinion on complex regional pain syndrome
Denied authorization for continued PT
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The Los Angeles County Fire Chief said the department’s firefighting efforts were hampered during the Eaton and Palisades fires by the number of firefighters out on workers’ comp.
The Department has a staff of 5,023 employees and 399 were off on workers’ comp
The Chief says the vacancies added to the department’s overtime costs
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Pennsylvania’s House Labor and Industry Committee advanced a bill to expand access to workers’ compensation disfigurement benefits
HB 183 would extend benefit duration from 275 weeks to 400 weeks
Extend eligibility to all body parts
Make disfigurement benefits payable with indemnity benefits
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