Travelers Reports Drop in Q4 WC Written Premiums Travelers on Wednesday reported net written workers’ compensation insurance premiums for the fourth quarter of 2024 totaled $808 million versus $812 million a year earlier, bringing the 2024 total to $3.469 billion versus $3.492 billion. In a call with analysts following the earnings release, CEO Alan […]

WC Only Commercial Line Without Renewal Rate Increase: Ivans Index Workers’ compensation was the only commercial line to not show year-over-year premium renewal rate increases, according to the Q4 2024 and year-end analysis from Ivans Index. The workers’ comp premium renewal rate change averaged -1.47%, down from Q3 2024 at -1.28%, according to the data. […]

  Earnings Ruled ‘Too Speculative’ to Determine TPD Benefits An Illinois appellate court last week ruled that the state’s Workers’ Compensation Commission correctly determined that an injured worker’s proposed earnings were “too speculative” to require his employer to pay temporary partial disability benefits. Peoria city maintenance worker Tim Menefee in January 2020 filed an application […]

  NYC Bus Driver’s Vehicle Attack-Related PTSD Ruled Not Compensable A New York State Appeals Court on Jan. 17 dismissed a post-traumatic stress disorder claim filed by a bus driver whose bus was attacked, finding that the incident was not outside of the norm of issues faced by bus drivers in New York City. The […]

  WCRI Research Examines Lifecycle of Claim A study released by the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) last week  offers an in-depth look at workers’ compensation claims lifecycle in New York, focusing on the prevalence and costs of various claim types. Among the major findings of the study, permanent partial disability (PPD) claims — which […]

  DoL: Employee Not Required to Substitute WC Benefits When Taking Family Leave The U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division earlier this week issued an opinion letter stating that employers cannot require employees to substitute accrued paid time off during a Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave where the employee is also […]

  Safety National Exec Outlines 6 WC Trends for 2025 Among the slew of industry prognostications and trend-spotting that surface at the start of the new year, Safety National’s VP of Client Engagement, Mark Walls, is out with a concise half-dozen to look for. Among the six, Walls advises to keep an eye on rising […]

  Virginia Legislators Mull Bill Calling Repetitive Trauma ‘Occupational Illness’  The Virginia Senate is reviewing legislation to classify injuries caused by repetitive trauma as occupational illnesses. Provisions in S.B. 1112 would include “injuries or diseases from conditions resulting from repetitive and sustained physical stressors, including repetitive and sustained motions, exertions, posture stresses, contact stresses, vibrations, […]

Alabama SIF Sues General Reinsurance Over Audit The Alabama Self Insured Workers Compensation Fund has sued General Reinsurance Corp. demanding its contribution toward $50,000 the fund paid to resolve a workers’ compensation claim, arguing that the reinsurer has attempted to conduct an after-the-fact audit which is not permitted under the reinsurance contract. In a Dec. […]

  NYSIF Launches Insurance Innovation Program The New York State Insurance Fund (NYSIF) has launched an Insurance Innovation program, designed to reimagine insurance solutions. It is encouraging responses to is Request for Information by Jan. 27, 2025 from organizations and individuals to share insights, solutions, technologies, and strategies that align with NYSIF’s vision of leading […]