OK - Supreme Court Says AWCA Doesn't Bar Worker from Changing Doctors More Than Once
02/09/2026 | 0
The Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled that the Administrative Workers' Compensation Act does not bar a worker from receiving more than one change of treating physician per claim.
Monica Moreno Goodwin suffered injuries while working for Saint Anthony South Behavioral Health in March 2017. She filed a workers’ compensation claim.
Saint Anthony admitted liability for injuries to Goodwin’s neck and shoulder. Saint Anthony authorized treatment with Dr. Zakary Knutson.
Goodwin amended her claim to add a consequential injury to her right arm. Saint Anthony contested the consequential i...
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The Illinois Appellate Court upheld an award of benefits to a nurse for her back injury.
Case: HCR Manor Care v. IWCC, No. 23-L-50667, 01/16/2026, unpublished.
Facts: Dyhema Ralston worked for Heartland Hospice as a registered nurse. She injured her back while at work in June 2016.
Ralston saw Dr. David Warman two days later. Warman took Ralston off work.
In October 2016, Heartland sent Ralston to be examined by Dr. Julie Wehner—the same day she saw Warman. Warman opined Ralston could return to light-duty work.
Ralston informed Heartland of her restrictions, and Heartland responded ...
A New York appellate court ruled that an employer, which was also the owner of a barge being used at a job site, was entitled to summary judgment dismissing an employee’s Longshore and Harbor Worker's Compensation Act claims against it.
Case: Cannon v. H&L Contracting LLC, No. 2021-07187, 01/21/2026, published.
Facts: James Cannon worked for H&L Contracting LLC. In January 2018, he was part of a project to repair the fender system of the Whitestone Bridge. Cannon operated an excavator that was located on a barge owned by H&L.
The barge was moved around the Flushing Riv...
The Kentucky Court of Appeals ruled that a worker’s challenge to the dismissal of his employer as an intervenor in his tort action was rendered moot by the dismissal of the tort action.
Case: Harper v. Premier Ink Systems Inc., No. 2024-CA-1475-MR, 01/16/2026, unpublished.
Facts: Christopher Harper worked for Premier Ink Systems Inc. He suffered injuries when he was struck by a forklift driven by Michael Hughes, an employee of Amscan Inc.
Procedural history: Harper filed tort claims against Amscan and Hughes in Jefferson Circuit Court. He also filed a workers’ compensation claim...
I recently had the chance to speak to a group of workers' compensation professionals from around the nation. They are each involved with self-insurance, a term that has evolved over the years that I have been involved in this community.
Some are surprised when they are reminded that the vast majority of obligations in the workers' compensation law are the employer's. There is a habitual reference in this community to the "employer/carrier," and certainly, there are contractual obligations between employers and carriers. By this contracting, the employer...
CA - CWCI: Small Volume, Big Cost Impact from Psychotherapeutic, Neurological Drugs
Psychotherapeutic and neurological drugs make up less than one-third of one percent of all prescriptions dispensed to injured workers in California, yet they are now among the 10 most expensive drug groups in the state’s workers compensation system, according to a study released Thursday by the California Workers’ Compensation Institute.
Analyzing prescription data from 2015 through 2024, CWCI found that these drugs consistently accounted for just 0.2% to 0.3% of all workers' compensation prescriptions. However, their share of total pharmacy spending increased nearly fivefold ...
California Gov. Gavin Newsom is proposing reforms to the Subsequent Injuries Benefits Trust Fund that would make it harder for injured workers to qualify for benefits.
The governor's proposal is included in a budget trailer bill posted to the Department of Finance website on Monday.
Jason Marcus, legislative chairman for the California Applicants' Attorneys Association, said the governor's proposal represents a significant policy change that should be vetted through the normal legislative process and not part of budget negotiations.
"We don't believe such a major re...
A California appellate court found that an injured worker’s employer was entitled to relief from a default judgment entered against it, and that its individual owners were not subject to civil liability to the worker.
Case: Pena v. Inter Stone Tools Inc., No. B333308, 02/03/2026, unpublished.
Facts: Hector Javier Pena worked for Inter Stone Tools Inc. His job duties included working with acetone. One day, while he was working, the acetone ignited, causing him to suffer burn injuries.
Procedural history: After Pena determined that Inter Stone did not have workers’ comp...
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...
A California appellate court ruled that workers’ compensation exclusivity barred a county employee’s civil claims based on his injuries from using an allegedly modified piece of equipment to do his job.
Case: Razo v. County of Orange, No. G064631, 01/03/2026, unpublished.
Facts: Alejandro Razo worked for Orange County Public Works, and his job involved cleaning debris from various locations.
One day, his supervisor instructed him to use a “vactor truck” that had an attached hose fitted with an allegedly modified nozzle for spraying highly-pressurized water. Razo...
A New York appellate court ruled that the defendant in a Labor Law action should have been granted summary judgment dismissing a worker’s claim for injuries allegedly sustained while cutting down a tree.
Case: Peterkin v. Westchester Parks Foundation Inc., No. 2021-07774, 01/21/2026, published.
Facts: Douglas Peterkin worked for the Westchester County Department of Parks, Recreation and Conservation. He allegedly was injured while cutting down a tree in Kensico Dam Plaza.
According to Peterkin, he had been working from an elevated bucket when he was struck by a portion of the tree he ...
The Kentucky Court of Appeals upheld the dismissal of a doctor’s civil claims against a hospital and both of his employers for his injuries from a fall.
Case: Sattenberg v. University Medical Center Inc., No. 2024-CA-0017-MR, 01/16/2026, unpublished.
Facts: Ronald Sattenberg worked as a radiologist. In August 2011, he allegedly fell over exposed cords at University Medical Center and suffered injuries.
At the time, Sattenberg was dually employed by University Radiological Associates and the University of Louisville.
Procedural history: Sattenberg filed workers’ compensation cla...
Connecticut lawmakers on Wednesday introduced legislation aimed at strengthening workplace protections and data transparency for employees in warehouse distribution centers.
SB 92 would impose new employer obligations regarding performance quotas, employee access to productivity data, and anti-retaliation safeguards.
Under the proposal, which would take effect Oct. 1, 2026, employers operating large warehouse facilities — defined as those with at least 250 employees at a single location or 1,000 across multiple sites — would be required to provide written descriptions of any work...
The fight over restitution stemming from an MRI kickback scheme is poised to return to an appellate court after a Southern California judge ordered Sam Solakyan to pay 10 carriers more than $4 million.
Attorneys for Solakyan on Monday filed with the U.S. District Court for Southern California a notice that they're appealing the amended restitution order and judgment that U.S. District Court Judge Cynthia Bashant entered Jan. 20.
The order denied Solakyan's request for a jury trial on restitution and rejected his claim that the government's pursuit of restitution constitutes v...
The Illinois Appellate Court upheld an award of benefits to a worker for injuries sustained when he fell from a pallet.
Case: Source One Staffing v. IWCC, No. 24L4548, 01/16/2026, unpublished.
Facts: Ciro Servin Cabrera worked for Source One Staffing. In October 2019, he was assigned to a distribution warehouse. While Cabrera was standing on a pallet, someone operating a pallet jack struck it. This caused him to lose his balance and fall.
On Nov. 4, 2019, Cabrera saw Dr. Mukeshchandra Patel, who ordered him to take time off from work.
In December 2019, Cabrera saw Dr. Matthew Ross, wh...
