Texas Set to Add Firefighter Cardiac Coverage

Texas state legislators are moving to expand workers’ compensation for firefighters suffering heart attacks and strokes after their shifts.
Sudden cardiac death is more likely to occur during or shortly after emergency duties such as fire suppression, despite the fact that these duties comprise a relatively small proportion of firefighters’ annual duties, according to a 2013 federally funded study.
The widely backed House Bill 331 went to the governor on May 13.
The bill shifts the way Texas handles cardiac and stroke-related workers’ compensation claims for first responders, allowing coverage for incidents occurring within eight hours of going off duty.
Similar proposals have failed to gain traction in past sessions. HB 331’s advancement this year comes after continued pressure from first responder advocates and new data.
Backers of the bill say the science behind delayed cardiac response times for firefighters — whose bodies may still be reacting to high-stress exertion hours after a call — has become too compelling to ignore.
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Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has reappointed Benjamin Vinson as Chairman of the State Board of Workers Compensation.
Frank McKay was reappointed to the Board, joining Neera Bahl.
Both reappointments are for four-year terms
In their judicial capacity, the three members of the Board function as a three-judge appellate review panel called the Appellate Division. The Appellate Division hears and reviews cases when a party to a claim files an appeal from an award of an Administrative Law Judge of the Trial Division.
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Workers’ compensation lawyers should recognize that AI, while good at processing large datasets and predicting outcomes, lacks the ability to understand case-specific nuances and may produce false or misleading information, referred to as “hallucinations,” Drew Eckl & Farnham attorney Elias Walker wrote in his recent analysis of the technology.
The article discusses the potential risks and limitations of using Artificial Intelligence (AI) in workers’ compensation law, despite its benefits in streamlining workflows and reducing costs.
Walker emphasized the importance of data privacy and confidentiality when using AI tools, as they require access to sensitive employee information, and it also stresses the need to maintain the human element in legal practice, such as empathy and understanding.
He advised defense attorneys to use AI as a tool with thorough oversight and professional judgment, rather than as a decision-maker, to ensure ethical and compliant use.