MN - Supreme Court Clarifies Statutory Presumption for Officers Killed in Line of Duty
06/10/2026 | 0
The Minnesota Supreme Court clarified the statutory presumption for a public safety officer to have been killed in the line of duty if he dies of a heart attack, stroke or vascular rupture.
Eric William Groebner worked for the Anoka Police Department as a patrol officer. He worked a 12-hour shift on Sept. 13, 2022.
Near the end of his shift, Groebner and another officer responded to a call reporting a child with a knife. Groebner drove to the scene through a residential neighborhood, reaching a top speed of 59 miles per hour.
There was no evidence of a knife when Groebner arrived. He s
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The Oregon Court of Appeals upheld a determination that a worker was entitled to a spinal cord stimulator trial.
Case: InteliStaf Healthcare v. Daniels, No. 396, 05/13/2026, published.
Facts: Julie Daniels injured her back in March 2004 and established a workers’ compensation claim for a right lumbar strain, L3-4 disc herniation and epidural fibrosis.
Daniels returned to work after treatment and had no symptoms.
Daniels later started working for InteliStaf Healthcare. She injured her back at work in March 2004 and established another workers’ compensation claim for a
The West Virginia Supreme Court ruled that an injured firefighter’s claim for benefits should not have been closed before he had fully recovered from the conditions that were newly added to his case.
Case: City of Wheeling v. Gilbert, No. 25-885, 06/01/2026, published.
Facts: David Gilbert worked as a firefighter for the City of Wheeling. He filed a workers’ compensation claim, asserting that he had injured his wrist in December 2023.
Gilbert said he was getting into an ambulance when he slipped and fell onto a stretcher with his right hand outstretched.
Gilbert was diagnosed w
A New York appellate court ruled that the family of a worker fatally thrown from an aerial boom lift was entitled to summary judgment on their Labor Law claim.
Case: Pacheco v. Tishman Construction Corp. of New York, No. 26440/18, 05/21/2026, published.
Facts: Joseph Pacheco and a colleague worked from an aerial boom lift installing electrical piping at a construction site in September 2017. While descending in the lift, both workers were ejected from the basket after the lift hit an obstruction.
It was undisputed that both men had removed their safety lanyards before the lift's de
A New York appellate court revived a worker’s Labor Law claim for his injuries from a broken mirror, finding that there was a triable issue as to whether the homeowners' exemption applied.
Case: Moreno v. Hossain, No. 2021-04463, 05/20/2026, published.
Facts: Felix Moreno worked for A&A Home Improvement Inc. He allegedly was injured while working on property owned by Enayet Hossain.
According to Moreno, the accident occurred when, as he and his supervisor were lifting a mirror to remove it from a wall in a second-floor rental, the upper part of the mirror broke off and struck
A free Workers' Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau webinar covering cumulative trauma claims in California is set for 10-11 a.m. Thursday.
WCIRB actuaries will share key findings from new research that highlights the continued rise in CT claims, the impact of post-termination filings and the growing role of medical-legal and interpreter costs.
Discussion items will include:
The latest CT claim trends shaping the market.
The cost drivers influencing medical and ALAE outcomes.
What these changes mean for pricing and reserving.
WCIRB staffers Esther Li, Laura Carsten
A new study from the Workers Compensation Research Institute finds that total workers’ compensation costs per claim in Pennsylvania are high compared with other states included in the study.
After declining between 2020 and 2022, total costs per claim in Pennsylvania began growing again and increased faster than in most other study states.
“Pennsylvania’s workers’ compensation costs reflect changes across several components, but higher indemnity benefits per claim stand out as a key factor behind Pennsylvania’s relative positi
A divided Mississippi Supreme Court ruled that judicial estoppel did not bar a worker from proceeding with a personal injury suit he failed to disclose in a prior bankruptcy proceeding.
Quinton Strong worked for Siemen’s Industry Inc. In May 2018, he was at work when a forklift operated by another worker pinned him against some pallets.
Strong did not know the identity of the operator or his employer at that time.
In January 2019, Strong filed a workers’ compensation claim and Chapter 13 bankruptcy. Strong hired different attorneys to handle each matter.
At the end of January 2
The West Virginia Supreme Court upheld the denial of a truck driver’s claim for occupational pneumoconiosis.
Case: Henry v. City of Wheeling, No. 25-886, 06/01/2026, published.
Facts: William Henry went to the hospital in August 2023, complaining of sleep disturbance and shortness of breath.
About two weeks later, Henry returned to the hospital with hypertension and again complained of shortness of breath.
In October 2023, Henry saw Dr. Neal Aulick. Henry reported that in the last six months, his breathing issues had worsened and that he had been hospitalized for COVID-19.
Aulick di
A Louisiana appellate court overturned a worker’s award of supplemental earnings benefits and a $2,000 penalty against her employer.
Case: Kinchen v. Tangipahoa Parish School System, No. 22-00528, 05/20/2026, published.
Facts: Catherine Kinchen worked for the Tangipahoa Parish School System. She was working at the Florida Parish Juvenile Detention Center when she allegedly suffered damage to her hearing from a loud sound created by a metal shelf when it scraped across the floor in February 2021.
Procedural history: TPSS filed a motion to appoint an independent medical examiner, s
A New York appellate court ruled that a worker who fell from a scaffold should have been granted summary judgment on his Labor Law claim.
Case: Correa v. NY Developers & Management LLC, No. 2024-04391, 05/20/2026, published.
Facts: Kelvyn Correa allegedly was injured when he fell from a scaffold while assisting a plumber on a worksite.
Procedural history: Correa filed suit against NY Developers & Management LLC, asserting a claim for a violation of Labor Law Section 240(1).
Section 240(1) imposes absolute liability on property owners, general contractors or their agents for failing
A New York appellate court ruled that a worker should have been granted summary judgment on his Labor Law claim for his fall from a ladder.
Case: Diaz v. Boston Properties Inc., No. 151421/22, 05/19/2026, published.
Facts: Salvador Diaz allegedly suffered injuries while working on a construction project when he fell from a ladder.
According to Diaz, he fell because he lost his balance, and the ladder on which he was standing shook.
Procedural history: Diaz filed suit against Boston Properties Inc., Petretti & Associates LLC and Sovereign Mechanical Corp. He asserted a claim for a
A New York appellate court ruled that a worker was not entitled to summary judgment for his alleged injuries from a Bobcat accident.
Case: Maza v. 120 East 144 LLC, No. 819431/23, 05/19/2026, published.
Facts: Jhonatan Maza allegedly suffered a crush injury to his left foot while working on a demolition project at a property owned by 120 East 144 LLC.
According to Maza, the injury occurred when a 1,000-pound bucket attachment on a Bobcat compact excavator fell on his foot while he was switching it out for another attachment.
Procedural history: Maza filed suit against 120 East, assert
The Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California has released its updated experience modification estimator, which is based on the experience rating values approved by the insurance commissioner as part of the Sept. 1, 2026, regulatory rate filing.
Insurers, agents and brokers use the estimator to evaluate payroll and claims that could affect a policyholder’s experience modification on or after Sept. 1, 2026.
Users can input payroll, classification and claims data to calculate estimated X-mods based on approved values from the Californ
The Industrial Commission of Arizona announced that the state's 2027 maximum average monthly wage will increase by 3.3%.
The new wage is $6,333.32 for injuries that occur during calendar year 2027, up from $6,131, and is based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Employment Cost Index for Wages and Salaries, Civilian Workers, by Occupational Group and Industry, All Workers, ICA said.
More information on Arizona's average monthly wage may be found on the Industrial Commission's website.
