Oregon Officials Warn of Fake Workers’ Comp Scam Targeting Spanish-Speaking Employees
- Oregon officials issued a warning to Spanish-speaking workers regarding a fraudulent scheme that uses fake workers’ compensation hearing notices to steal personal information.
- The scammers employ authentic-looking documents to pressure injured employees into revealing Social Security numbers and financial details by falsely claiming to process benefits.
- The Department of Consumer and Business Services confirmed these notices are illegitimate and bypass official legal procedures.
- Workers affected by this scam should verify all hearing requests using the Workers’ Compensation Board’s official website.
New York Court Affirms Workers’ Comp Death Benefits for COVID-19 Fatality
- A New York appeals court ruled that a truck driver’s 2020 COVID-19 death is a compensable work-related accident, requiring ABF Freight System to pay workers’ compensation death benefits.
- The court found that a major outbreak and lack of safety gear at the Brooklyn terminal created an “unusual hazard” under workers’ compensation law.
- This decision establishes that claimants can prove work-relatedness by showing elevated workplace risk rather than a specific exposure moment.
- At least 12 other employees contracted the virus during the same period as the deceased driver.
Summit Expands Workers’ Compensation Operations to Delaware and Pennsylvania
- Summit, a member of the Great American Insurance Group, is expanding its workers’ compensation operations into Delaware and Pennsylvania after receiving regulatory approval.
- Through its managed carriers, including Bridgefield Casualty and Bridgefield Employers, Summit will offer coverage via independent agents in these new states.
- The company will provide its standard suite of claims management and loss prevention services to businesses in these new territories.
- This expansion increases Summit’s service area to 17 states across the South and Mid-Atlantic.