Iowa Firm Admits to Workers’ Comp Insurance Violation
Iowa Employer Pleads Guilty After Operating Without Workers’ Comp Coverage Hawkeye Waste Systems admitted it operated without required workers’ compensation insurance after an employee died from head trauma on the job. Investigators discovered the lapse when the worker’s widow received a large medical bill because no coverage was in place. State officials confirmed the employer […]
Attorney Urges Strong Documentation Practices in Workers’ Comp Fraud Cases
Workers’ Comp Fraud Expert Tells Attorneys to Document Every Detail A workers’ compensation fraud litigator told attorneys at a New York State Bar Association panel that documentation is critical in fraud cases. She emphasized that surveillance footage and detailed records often determine whether a claim is substantiated or disproven. The presentation highlighted a case in […]
Chicago Probe Identifies Fabricated Injury Claim in Workers’ Comp System
Chicago Report Finds Employee Fabricated Injury to Obtain Workers’ Comp Benefits A Chicago inspector general report found that one city employee fabricated an on‑duty injury to obtain workers’ compensation benefits. The investigation also identified two Chicago Police Department employees who received fraudulent PPP loansAxios. Another employee was cited for misusing work time at a private […]
Austin Denies Workers’ Comp Claim for Firefighter’s Cancer
Austin Firefighter Denied Workers’ Comp After Cancer Diagnosis Austin Fire Department Lieutenant Suzanne La Follette is challenging the city’s denial of her workers’ compensation claim after a stage 4 uterine cancer diagnosis. The city denied the claim because state law does not list uterine cancer for presumptive coverage, classifying it as a “disease of life.” […]
Reducing Workers’ Compensation Liabilities Through Advanced Safety Monitoring
Smart PPE and Wearables Drive Down Workers’ Compensation Claims Emerging safety technologies such as smart PPE and wearable devices can significantly lower workers’ compensation risks by decreasing the frequency and severity of injuries. These innovations allow insurance professionals to improve underwriting accuracy and offer incentives for proactive risk mitigation. Pilot programs using tech-enabled monitoring have […]
WV Court Says Daycare Worker’s Parking‑Lot Fall Is Compensable
West Virginia Court Rules Employee’s Lunch-Break Fall is Compensable The West Virginia Intermediate Court of Appeals upheld a compensability ruling for a daycare worker who injured her foot and ankle during a fall. The employer, Little Dogs Daycare, argued the injury occurred while the worker was heading to an off-site lunch break and was therefore […]
How Florida’s New Workers’ Comp Laws Will Affect Claim Processing and Costs
Florida Overhauls Workers’ Comp with Faster Claims Processing and Fee Reforms In 2025, Florida legislators introduced significant changes to the state’s workers’ compensation system aimed at administrative improvements. The updates include raising attorney fee limits and mandating electronic medical record sharing among relevant parties. These measures are intended to speed up claim processing and lower […]
Texas Launches Major Workers’ Comp Funding Overhaul with New Surcharge Model
Texas Shifts to New Workers’ Comp Surcharge System Texas implemented a major overhaul of its workers’ compensation funding system on January 1, 2026, replacing the long‑standing maintenance tax with a new surcharge model. The change significantly increases the maximum assessment rate, giving regulators more stable revenue to oversee claims handling, fraud enforcement, and insurer compliance. […]
Court Says No New Injury, Upholds Denial of Worker’s Comp Claim
Appeals Court Upholds Rejection of Worker’s Knee‑Injury Claim The West Virginia Intermediate Court of Appeals filed a decision on December 4, 2025, affirming the Workers’ Compensation Board of Review’s April 23, 2025 order rejecting Aaron Underwood’s claim. Underwood said he injured his right knee at work on July 31, 2024, but records showed extensive preexisting […]
Superior Court Judge Pleads Guilty in Workers’ Comp Fraud Case
California Judge Admits to Workers’ Comp Fraud Scheme Orange County Superior Court Judge Israel Claustro agreed to plead guilty to federal charges alleging he defrauded California’s workers’ compensation system. Prosecutors say he targeted the Subsequent Injuries Benefits Trust Fund by operating a medical group that submitted med‑legal reports for injured‑worker claimsWorkers’ Comp Executive. Claustro employed […]