KY - Former Firegihter's Total Knee Replacement Surgery Deemed Compensable
09/15/2026 | 0
The Kentucky Court of Appeals upheld a determination that a former firefighter was entitled to a total left knee replacement as treatment for a work injury.
Adam Middleton, a firefighter for the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, as a firefighter, He injured his left knee while at work in July 2017.
Middleton filed a workers’ compensation claim, which the county settled in November 2018,
As part of the settlement, Middleton received a lump-sum payment while preserving his right to future medical benefits associated with the injury. The settlement agreement described the compen
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A New York appellate court upheld the summary dismissal of a workers’ compensation consultant’s breach of contract claim against a client of its alleged predecessor-in-interest.
Case: Compensation Guidance Inc. v. Aspro Plumbing Inc., No. 2024-12093, 09/02/2026, published.
Facts and procedural history: Compensation Guidance Inc. is a consulting firm that specializes in obtaining credits, refunds, and reduced premiums on workers' compensation policies and past audits.
The company sued filed suit against Aspro Plumbing Inc., alleging it is the successor-in-interest to Compensa
The Illinois Appellate Court ruled that an employer paid the correct amount of a worker’s award for medical benefits, and a circuit court judge erred in finding otherwise.
Case: Jenkins v. McLaughlin Body Co., No. 4-25-0962, 09/02/2026, published.
Facts and procedural history: Cory Jenkins worked for the McLaughlin Body Co. He filed a workers’ compensation claim for an alleged injury suffered in February 2016.
An arbitrator found the injury compensable. The arbitrator determined that all of the medical bills Jenkins had introduced into evidence were reasonable and necessary, exc
The Indiana Court of Appeals ruled that a worker was entitled to benefits for his injuries from an accident caused when he suffered a fainting spell behind the wheel of his employer’s vehicle while running a work-related errand.
Case: Harrison County Parks and Recreation v. Hussung, No. 26A-EX-780, 09/04/2026, published.
Facts: David Hussung worked for Harrison County Parks & Recreation. On Oct. 12, 2023, his supervisor sent him to drive to stores in Bedford and Bloomington to buy paint for a playground project.
Hussung left his house around 5:30 a.m. in a Harrison County Parks ve
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If you are anything like the average individual, there is something uniquely fascinating about watching professional athletes showcase their extraordinary talent, skills and strengths, as they are the modern-day version of gladiators. But that also presents an interesting question that most people don’t think about: What about when these athletes get injured? What benefits are they entitled to?
Are professional athletes subject to specific rules or regulations within the workers’ compensation system? While they are evaluated under the standard workers’ compensation
The Industrial Commission of Arizona announced that a handful of bills lawmakers enacted earlier this year that directly affect its operations and organizations took effect Saturday.
SB 1135 increased the maximum statutory allowance for burial expenses to $10,000 from $5,000.
SB 1136 requires paying death benefits to the surviving spouse of a first responder until the spouse dies. Death benefits for other types of workers are paid until death or remarriage.
The bill applies retroactively to spouses of first responders who lost their benefits due to remarriage on or after Jan. 1, 2000, but p
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York announced that a jury convicted a former postal worker of perpetrating a 25-year fraud scheme that netted at least $900,000 in workers' compensation benefits.
A federal jury on Friday convicted Luann Middleton, 72, of wire fraud in connection with her repeated submission of false workers' compensation forms, prosecutors said.
Middleton claimed that she injured her lower back while working as a postal clerk in August 1997. She returned to work briefly in 1999 but claimed to have a recurrence of her back injury that le
The same Arizona appellate court that affirmed the denial of an injured worker's claim has now affirmed the denial of that worker's related bad-faith claim in an unpublished memorandum decision.
Almmar Halloum claimed that he was injured when he fell down some stairs while working for Black Diamond Networks in November 2023. An administrative law judge found he was not a credible witness and that the fall was intentional, and the Arizona Court of Appeals affirmed in February.
In February 2024, Halloum filed a complaint accusing Black Diamond Networks and its carrier, Federal Ins
Nicole Richardson has taken the helm at the California Division of Workers' Compensation.
Richardson, who was appointed administrative director of the DWC in August, was sworn in on Sept. 1, the DWC announced Friday. Richardson had served as acting administrative director, succeeding George Parisoto, who retired in January.
The DWC said Richardson has more than 20 years of experience in California's workers' compensation system.
She joined DWC as staff counsel in 2017 and advanced through several leadership positions within the division's Legal Unit. Earlier in her
SAN DIEGO, Calif. (September 11, 2026) On the 25th anniversary of September 11, Health & Safety Leadership Alliance and Institutes of Health (IOH) today issued five recommendations designed to reduce delays between a first responder's request for help and the start of coordinated treatment.
First responders are trained to take control of emergencies and keep functioning under pressure so they can protect others. Asking
Hawaii Employers’ Mutual Insurance Co. Inc. on Friday announced that its board of directors declared a $5 million dividend this year.
The carrier's 20th consecutive dividend matches the largest in its history and brings to $63 million the total that HEMIC has returned since 2007, the carrier said.
To qualify for the dividend, policyholders must be insured with HEMIC for more than one consecutive policy term and demonstrate a history of strong workplace safety. The carrier said more than 80% of policyholders meet these criteria and are expected to receive their dividend i
Florida's Statewide Nominating Commission for Judges of Compensation Claims is meeting Oct. 22 to interview applicants for a judicial position in West Palm Beach.
The commission is working to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Michael Ring in Ft. Lauderdale and the transfer of Gregory Johnsen from West Palm Beach to Ft. Lauderdale.
Application forms for appointment as a judge are due Oct. 8, the commission said.
Anyone who wishes to speak at the meeting to oppose an applicant must provide written notice by Oct. 15.
The nominating commission meeting is hybrid, with some commi
Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond issued an opinion letter answering a state lawmaker's question about the Multiple Injury Trust Fund's annual obligations.
"The 'annual obligations' of the Multiple Injury Trust Fund are the spending categories enumerated within Title 85A, Sections 31 and 32 of the Oklahoma Statutes: permanent total disability awards, compromise settlements of such awards, and all other authorized expenses and liabilities, as determined by the MITF director’s reasonable fiscal forecast for the upcoming calendar year," the attor
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, in an unpublished decision, affirmed a district court's decision to stay a tort claim alleging a carrier refused to pay benefits pending the outcome of proceedings before California's Workers' Compensation Appeals Board.
Grigsby & Associates Inc. sued State Farm Fire and Casualty Co. in 2025 for breach of contract and breach of good and fair dealing in Alameda County Superior Court. The case was removed to the U.S. District Court for Northern California.
The complaint alleges that State Farm provided workers' compensation cov
The Workers' Compensation Court of Montana ordered an injured worker to attend a second independent medical exam, finding that the carrier's request was relevant to the claim and appropriate to its handling.
Case: Madison Jordon v. XL Specialty Insurance Co., 2026 MTWCC 7, 09/08/2026, published.
Facts and procedural history: Madison Jordan suffered an accepted cervical strain in a workplace fall in August 2023. The claim was closed within days of the accident.
In October 2023, Jordan went to the hospital reporting jaw issues that included pain, locking and a temporomandibular j
The owner of a New York asbestos removal company was charged with premium fraud for allegedly misrepresenting his company's payroll, the number of employees and the type of work they were doing.
The Suffolk County District Attorney's Office said Joseph Arthurs, 56, and his company, VGN Enterprise Corp., were arraigned Wednesday on charges of "penalties for fraudulent practices" and "effect of failure to secure compensation," both Class E felonies. Prosecutors allege that the fraud resulted in underpayment of premiums by more than $160,000.
According to a statement
Kids' Chance of California announced that it has awarded $304,299 in scholarships to 45 students for the 2026-27 academic year.
The scholarships were awarded to 13 new recipients and 32 reapplicants, the organization said.
Kids’ Chance of California is a nonprofit organization that provides scholarships to children of those who were seriously injured or killed as a result of a work-related accident.
It has awarded 418 scholarships worth $2.6 million since it was founded in 2012.
More information about Kids’ Chance of California is here.
