PA - Uncomfortable Position on Sofa While Working From Home Didn't Cause Compensable Injury
09/16/2026 | 0
The Commonwealth Court of Pennsylania upheld the denial of a self-represented worker’s claim that she was injured by sitting in an uncomfortable position while working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sharon Graaf worked for the Scranton Counseling Center. She filed a workers’ compensation claim asserting she had suffered a work injury in August 2020.
Graaf asserted she had bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome and the aggravation of her cervical degenerative disc disease. She sought temporary total disability and partial disability benefits, plus medical bills and attorney fee
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A New York appellate court dismissed an employer’s challenge to an employee’s psychological injury claim as moot.
Case: Parkinson v. Manhattan and Bronx Surface Transit Operating Authority, No. CV-25-0636, 09/10/2026, published.
Facts: Fritz-Michael Parkinson was a bus driver for the Manhattan and Bronx Surface Transit Operating Authority. He filed a claim for workers’ compensation benefits asserting that he suffered a psychological injury after he witnessed a box truck run over and kill a bicyclist.
Procedural history: A workers’ compensation judge established the c
The California Division of Workers' Compensation is holding a public hearing Oct. 16 to discuss what appears to be a proposal to update the treatment guidelines for knee injuries.
The division on Tuesday afternoon amended Newsline 2026-74 to indicate that the agency is proposing to amend Section 9792.23.6 to adopt the Knee Disorders Guideline that the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine revised July 8.
Section 9792.23.6 currently incorporates into the Medical Treatment Utilization Schedule a December 2019 version of ACOEM's knee guideline.
The DWC also said i
The National Council on Compensation Insurance said that the topics of interest in state and federal bills monitored in 2026 were mainly consistent with topics from prior years.
However, there was a noticeable increase in bills determining when workers are employees and when they're independent contractors, and a related increase in bills proposing portable benefits packages for independent contractors.
Louisiana, Oklahoma and Virginia enacted bills related to worker classification, NCCI said.
In Louisiana, HB 185 expands the definition of independent contractor to include employe
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 Oklahoma Workers' Compensation Commission will hold its annual educational conference Oct. 27-28 in Stillwater.
The conference will feature a panel discussion of common procedural and substantive issues in cases, with an administrative law judge providing a perspective on case preparation and presentation. Another session will cover the administrative hearing process with tips for attorneys and workers' compensation professionals.
Sessions are scheduled to cover other topics including medical causation, independent medical exams and ethical considerations. One session will explor
The California Division of Workers' Compensation announced that its Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee is meeting virtually Oct. 21.
Committee members are scheduled to discuss topical drug products, GLP-1 drugs and biologics during the meeting. The committee will also discuss proton pump inhibitors and H2 blockers, both of which reduce stomach acid production.
The P&T Committee was created to advise the DWC on evidence-based updates to the prescription drug formulary in the Medical Treatment Utilization Schedule.
The committee meets Oct. 21 from 12:30-2:30 p.m.
Instructions
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
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
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
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
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
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