Flash: Bureau Files for Workers’ Comp Rate Increase

• The Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California is increasing pure premium rates for later this year. The rate is advisory.
• The increase is being driven by several factors, including increased loss development.
• Workers’ compensation remains California’s most competitive commercial insurance product.
• The Bureau also increased rates last year, but the Insurance Commissioner denied it.
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Fraud Going Down in Chitty Chatty

• A Michigan native, working in Florida, is accused of committing workers comp fraud in the Village of Chitty Chatty.
• Gregory Fred Kargula allegedly filed a fraudulent workers’ comp claim with his employer Carpet 1, according to the Florida Department of Financial Services.
• Kargula went to an urgent care clinic after an injury he said he sustained at work without reporting it to his employer, or getting treatments approved by employer’s insurance company.
• Kargula admitted he committed perjury when he said he had no other employment. He worked for a paint company. The insurance company is seeking thousands of dollars in restitution.
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Texas Gives Insurance Carriers a Break

• The Texas Department of Insurance is easing back on the paperwork.
• A new rule issued by the Department’s general counsel allows insurers to ease up on some of their accident prevention services requirements.
• Some the changes include eliminating overly burdensome reporting requirements and updating language to make it more in line with statutes.
• The adopted rule will be posted today in the Texas Register.
  Read More  To view other proposed and adopted rules. Read More

 

Remote Work: Out of Sight Out of Mind?

• Thanks in part to COVID more employees are working remotely these days saving both time and money for workers and employers. But a home office is still a work environment.
• Employers are still responsible for meeting certain requirements and following laws.
• Unless they’re independent contractors, they’re employees and can be spread throughout the United States.
• Employees must be assured of a safe work environment, and if they’re injured in the course of their employment workers comp is still the remedy, even if they trip in their living room.
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Yes, He Tripped at Work

• An appellate court says Michael Iniquez, whose job required travel, was injured at work, regardless of where it happened. Iniquez was acting in the course of employment when he tripped on stairs at the Town of Cicero’s City Hall.
• Iniquez started his day in the office at his computer downloading his assignments. He then descended a stairwell to get his employer provided vehicle to begin his day as blight inspector. He tripped hitting his head, and hurting his neck, shoulders, and back. The employer denied the workers’ claim.
• An Illinois Appellate Court ruled that because he started his day in the office and had to return to the office during the day to get more assignments, he was in his place of employment, even though he hadn’t started traveling.
• An injury sustained in the office is compensable if it is conduct reasonable and foreseeable by the employer, thus Iniquez is entitled to benefits. Read More