Indiana nurse settles workers’ comp case, sues doctor

• A nurse who contracted a skin infection while working at a hospital can pursue a medical malpractice complaint against a physician, the Court of Appeals of Indiana ruled.
• The nurse filed a workers’ comp claim against the hospital that was settled by a compromise agreement in October 2019.
• She later filed a proposed complaint against the physician with the Indiana Department of Insurance, alleging the doctor failed to protect her from exposure to and failed to diagnose scabies, which led to a delay in appropriate treatment.
• The Lake Superior Court granted the motion to dismiss, but the Court of Appeals reversed.
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New York workers’ comp board provides insight on COVID-19 issues

• The New York State Workers’ Compensation Board wants support workers who suspect they contracted COVID-19 while on the job.
• The Board is conducting a webinar series that helps workers with vital information on filing workers’ compensation claims.
• Individuals who experience long-haul medical issues as a result of work-related COVID-19 may be entitled to free lifetime medical care.
• If a worker misses more than seven days of work due to work-related COVID-19, they may be eligible to receive lost wage benefits.
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More help for injured firefighters

• Ontario will increase the benefits for injured workers and improve cancer coverage for firefighters under legislation set to be introduced soon.
• The changes would be part of the same upcoming bill that would require employers to disclose salary ranges in job postings.
• The bill would enable the government to set annual increases.
• If that amount was 2%, an injured worker who earns $70,000 a year would get an additional $900 annually on top of cost-of-living adjustments, which were 6.5%t this year.
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Not all work-related injuries are reported

• The number of workers getting hurt or sick on the job as the number of workers at in-person job sites rose in 2022
• New data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that 2.8 million workplace injuries and illnesses were voluntarily reported by employers last year, though that number is likely an undercount.
• Not everyone injured on the job reports the injury and some gig workers quickly move to a different workplace.
• Debbie Berkowitz, a fellow at Georgetown, said jobs often require a lot of repetitive motions that can lead to injuries to the back, upper extremities, wrist, and shoulder/elbow.
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