AZ - Court Affirms ICA Finding That Worker Failed to Prove Bad Faith, Unfair Processing Claims
09/14/2026 | 0
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the denial of an injured worker's claim has now affirmed the denial of that worker's related bad-faith claim in an unpublished memorandum decision.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
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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
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
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
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
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.
The Actuarial Committee for the Workers' Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California will review insurer experience valued as of June 30, as well as a pair of studies into severity trends and large deductible policies when it meets Wednesday.
The committee will discuss the WCIRB's ongoing review of components driving indemnity severity based on an analysis of data collected from subsequent reports of injury.
The Actuarial Committee will review preliminary exhibits separating indemnity payments into temporary total disability, permanent disability, settlements and other compone
A trial court in Kentucky held that the Department of Workers' Claims violated the state's Open Records Act by refusing to provide a copy of its medical fee schedule and insisting that it be purchased from a contractor.
Franklin Circuit Court Judge Phillip J. Shepherd granted summary judgment in favor of D1 Data Solutions, which does business as RefMed, finding that the department willfully withheld records that the medical pricing data aggregator should have been provided with in response to its March 2026 request.
The Department of Workers' Claims in 2024 entered an $85,01
The Montana Workers’ Compensation Court ruled that a worker’s preexisting conditions must be considered in a physician’s approval of a job analysis report serving as the basis for converting temporary total disability benefits to permanent partial disability benefits.
Case: Crisler v. Zurich American Insurance Co., No. PI-2025-0000974-WCI, 09/01/2026, published.
Facts and procedural history: In April 2019, the Workers’ Compensation Court approved the settlement of Robert Crisler Jr.’s workers’ compensation claim for a back injury. The settlement
A New York appellate court upheld a determination that a bricklayer had not knowingly provided false information about his medical history in his workers’ compensation claim.
Case: Loja-Saula v. Cosan Construction Corp. (WCAB), No. CV-25-0822, 09/03/2026, published.
Facts and procedural history: Luis Loja-Saula worked for Cosan Construction Corp. as a bricklayer. He filed a workers’ compensation claim for injuries he sustained in April 2022 when a piece of cinder block fell on him.
A workers’ compensation law judge established the claim for injuries to Loja-Saula&rsqu
The Illinois Appellate Court found that a pension board denied a former police officer due process in terminating his duty disability benefits, and that the board’s conclusion that he was no longer disabled was against the manifest weight of the evidence.
Case: Mahan v. Marion Police Pension Board, No. 5-26-0066, 09/02/2026, unpublished.
Facts and procedural history: Joshua Mahan began working for the Marion Police Department in 2007. He was injured in the line of duty in 2011 and applied for line-of-duty disability pension benefits.
His application was granted in 2012.
Subsequent di
The West Virginia Supreme Court overturned the denial of a retired dump truck driver’s claim for occupational pneumoconiosis benefits.
Case: Kessler v. West Virginia Paving Inc., No. 26-178, 09/02/2026, published.
Facts: Joseph Kessler worked as a dump truck driver for West Virginia Paving Inc., making deliveries for its quarry from 2013 to 2022.
In July 2024, Kessler underwent chest X-rays. Dr. Kathleen A. DePonte opined that they showed insufficient parenchymal or pleural changes to establish a diagnosis of occupational pneumoconiosis.
In August 2024, Dr. Richard Spencer and p
