CA - DWC Administrative Director Parisotto Retires
02/04/2026 | 1
After more than a week of unanswered questions, the California Division of Workers' Compensation on Tuesday confirmed that Administrative Director George Parisotto has retired from state service.
Parisotto's last day at the helm of the DWC was Friday, and the position will remain vacant until the governor appoints a replacement, a DWC spokesperson said in the first substantive response to questions about the director's status since Jan. 22.
WorkCompCentral reached out to the DWC on Jan. 22 to confirm or refute reports that Parisotto was leaving at the end of the month, and to...
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The Kansas Court of Appeals upheld a finding that a hog farm employee had suffered wage loss after an on-the-job injury and remanded for the Workers’ Compensation Board to revisit the amount of his “task loss.”
Case: Martinez v. Haverkamp Brothers Inc., No. 128,693, 01/16/2026, unpublished.
Facts: Sergio Martinez worked for Haverkamp Brothers Inc., a hog farm. He initially worked primarily as a breeding technician, but after being injured at work in 2015, he was assigned an accommodated position, performing in-office duties.
Before this employment, Martinez completed six y...
A federal appellate court denied an employer’s challenge to a worker’s black lung benefits, holding that the judge’s finding of total disability was supported by the worker’s pulmonary evaluation results.
Case: Clinchfield Coal Co. v. OWCP, No. 23-1667, 01/15/2026, published.
Facts: Vernon Vanderpool worked in underground coal mines for more than 20 years. After retiring, he filed a claim for compensation under the Black Lung Benefits Act.
After Vanderpool filed his claim, the Department of Labor sponsored a pulmonary evaluation conducted by Dr. Esther Ajja...
A New York appellate court upheld a grant of summary judgment for a worker on his Labor Law claim for his fall from a ladder, as well as the dismissal of the defendants’ third-party claim for indemnification.
Case: Callan v. RCB3 Nominee LLC, No. 158801/19, 01/15/2026, published.
Facts and procedural history: Frank Callan allegedly suffered injuries in a fall from a ladder while working on a construction project.
He filed suit against the property owner and the construction manager, asserting a claim for a violation of Labor Law Section 240(1).
Section 240(1) imposes absolute liabili...
Sacramento, CA [December 10, 2025] Today, POWER proudly announced its official launch as a laser-focused non-profit organized to take direct action against fraud and criminal activity in California's temporary staffing industry.
"One of the biggest crimes taking place in California's workforce is hiding in plain sight. The temporary staffing industry has become a largely unregulated playground for cri...
Excellent research on high-cost work comp claims by NCCI’s Brett Foster and Yuchen Su indicates that we need to take a step back and revisit how we characterize, think about and manage catastrophic claims.
Su and Foster categorized claims into fast-emerging (incurred losses of $1 million in the first 24 months) and slow-emerging (post-24 months).
First, top takeaways.
Causation: Fast claims are often caused by motor vehicle accidents and falls from elevation. Slow claims are often linked to strains and lifting injuries.
Shrinkage: A...
A New York appellate court ruled that summary judgment could not be granted in a Labor Law dispute because of conflicting evidence on whether the worker was required to perform his job at an elevation.
Case: Leon v. Plaza Construction LLC, No. 151025/20, 01/15/2026, published.
Facts: Manuel Leon allegedly suffered injuries while working on a construction project while handing rebar to co-workers for installation.
According to Leon, he had to stand on a work table to sort through loose rebar. He claimed that the rebar then shifted under his foot, causing him to lose his balanc...
A Seattle-area bus driver has been charged with taking more than $50,000 in compensation payments while allegedly working other jobs.
Clifford Wayne Dumas, 67, repeatedly attested that he was injured and incapable of working. He received benefits from the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries, including $26,000 in wage replacement payments, $16,000 in medical care and nearly $14,000 in vocational training.
Despite his statements to the contrary, an investigation revealed that Dumas was working the entire time, L&I alleges. Dumas pleaded not guilty Jan. 5 in King...
A California lawmaker introduced a bill that would indefinitely extend authorization for employers to use prepaid debit cards to pay indemnity benefits.
AB 1683, introduced Monday by the Assembly Insurance Committee, would eliminate statutory language that would shut down the debit card pilot program at the start of 2027.
State Compensation Insurance Fund is the only carrier that offered prepaid cards under the definition of the pilot created in 2018, according to a report that the Commission on Health and Safety and Workers' Compensation released for public comment in December.
Be...
Legislation that would require employers to continue paying health insurance premiums for injured workers would add more than $500 million in new costs over six years, according to an analysis by the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries.
HB 2372 and SB 6067 would require employers to cover 100% of their contribution for health care benefits for workers injured on or after July 1 who suffer a permanent total disability. The bill would clarify that the employer's payment for health benefits is not included in the worker's wages when calculating benefits.
L&I estimate...
GA - Bill Proposes Sweeping Changes to Prescribing in Comp
A bill introduced Monday in Georgia would rewrite how prescription drugs are provided and reimbursed under the state’s workers' compensation system.
HB 1119 would amend state law to let employers direct injured workers’ prescription drug care through contracted pharmacy management networks or, alternatively, permit workers to obtain medication from pharmacies or dispensing providers of their choosing. The measure sets detailed requirements for prescribing, dispensing and reimbursement.
Under the proposal, prescribing providers would be required to document medical necessity f...
The Massachusetts Appeals Court reversed a Department of Industrial Accidents Reviewing Board decision holding that a reinsurer was not entitled to reimbursement from the Workers' Compensation Trust Fund for cost-of-living adjustments paid to an injured worker.
Although case law at the time supported denying Employers Reinsurance Corp.'s reimbursement requests, the board's decision was based on an appellate court ruling that the state's high court overruled for improperly expanding the list of entities that are not eligible for reimbursement from the trust fund.
In addition t...
The Arizona Court of Appeals upheld the denial of a worker’s claim for benefits for the partial amputation of his leg, finding he did not prove that the surgery was related to a work accident as opposed to his preexisting medical issues.
Case: Merkley v. Industrial Commission, No. 1 CA-IC 25-0014, 01/16/2026, unpublished.
Facts: Stephen Merkley worked as the director of operations for the PAM Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Surprise, an acute inpatient rehabilitation facility.
In 2022, Merkley underwent five surgeries on his right foot and ankle, including an ankle fusion that place...
A federal appellate court upheld an award of black lung benefits to a coal miner, finding no error in the Benefits Review Board’s interlocutory order or final order.
Case: Dominion Coal Corp. v. OWCP, No. 23-2310. 01/15/2026, published.
Facts and procedural history: Darrell Meade worked as a coal miner for 37 years. He filed a claim for compensation under the Black Lung Benefits Act.
A Labor Department claims examiner reviewed his application and issued a proposed decision and order, finding that Meade contracted pneumoconiosis on the job and that Dominion Coal Corp. was liable for hi...
A New York appellate court upheld the denial of a worker’s application for reconsideration and/or full board review.
Case: Matter of Wagner v. Bobley Publishing Corp., No. CV-24-2041, 01/15/2026, published.
Facts and procedural history: Wendy Wagner worked for Bobley Publishing Corp. She slipped and fell at work in 1977, suffering serious injuries.
Wagner established a workers’ compensation claim for injuries to her head and back.
In 1980, Wagner was classified with a permanent partial disability and was referred to vocational rehabilitation.
In 1991, Wagner was classified wit...
A New York appellate court upheld a grant of summary judgment to a worker on his Labor Law claim for his injuries from a fall from a ladder.
Case: Rosario v. Franklin Plaza Apartments Inc., No. 21132/20, 01/13/2026, published.
Facts: Jose Rosario allegedly suffered injuries when he fell from a ladder while working on a construction project.
According to Rosario, the ladder he was using suddenly shifted, causing him to fall.
Procedural history: Rosario filed suit against Franklin Plaza Apartments Inc., asserting a claim under Labor Law Section 240(1).
Section 240(1) imposes absolute liabil...
A Hawaii lawmaker introduced a bill that would expand the list of cancers for which providers are entitled to enhanced reimbursement rates on firefighter workers' compensation claims.
Hawaii law authorizes reimbursement rates ranging from 110% to 150% of the Medicare Resource-Based Relative Value Scale rate if a claim for certain cancers filed by a firefighter with at least five years of experience is accepted or determined to be compensable.
HB 2387 would add to the list of covered conditions adenocarcinoma or mesothelioma of the respiratory system, malignant melanoma and canc...
