CA - CWCI Reports Continued Increase in Loss Costs
09/18/2026 | 0
The California Workers' Compensation Institute reported that the pandemic temporarily disrupted loss cost trends but did not curtail the persistent growth in medical and indemnity claim costs.
The pandemic temporarily moderated initial loss costs, CWCI reported. Average total paid losses measured 6 months and 12 months after injury rose steadily through accident year 2020 before leveling off in 2021 when more than 82,000 COVID-19 claims entered the system. The influx of relatively low-cost COVID claims had a brief moderating effect on paid losses, especially during the first year of devel
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A divided panel of the District of Columbia’s high court ruled that a worker’s claim for additional benefits was properly dismissed as untimely.
Case: Crutchfield v. DOES, Nos. 24-AA-1000 & 24-AA-1046, 09/10/2026, published.
Facts: Teresa Crutchfield worked for the Carolyn Boone Lewis Health Center as a certified nursing assistant. In March 2011, she injured her back while lifting a patient. Carolyn Boone filed a report of injury six days later.
Crutchfield filed a claim for workers’ compensation benefits with the Department of Employment Services Office of Workers&rsq
The Kentucky Court of Appeals ruled that a distillery was not entitled to up-the-ladder immunity from liability for injuries sustained by a fuel delivery driver while making a delivery.
Case: Norman v. Jim Beam Brands Co., No. 2024-CA-0332-MR, 09/11/2026, unpublished.
Facts: Rickey Norman worked for Premier AG, delivering diesel fuel and gasoline to its customers.
Norman suffered injuries in a fall from a ladder while making a delivery to a distillery owned by Jim Beam Brands Co.
He filed a workers’ compensation claim against Premier, and a premises liability claim against Beam.
Pro
A federal appellate court upheld the dismissal of claims for maritime-law negligence and subrogation against a liftboat operator.
Case: Aries Marine Corp v. American Longshore Mutual Association Ltd., No. 26-30226, 09/14/2026, unpublished.
Facts: The Aries Marine Corp. operates liftboats and offshore supply vessels. The L/B RAM XVII was part of its fleet.
Aries chartered the liftboat to Fieldwood Energy LLC. While it was being used in connection with work at one of Fieldwood’s offshore platforms, the liftboat’s port leg started to sink into the seabed, and it eventually capsized
Sacramento, CA — September 15, 2026 — APEX Investigation® today named Jeff Kool as Chief Operating Officer. Kool was the company’s first employee nearly thirty years ago before departing for a career in law enforcement — one that concludes this year with his retirement from the Roseville Police Department after over 23 years of service.
“Jeff, who nearly three decades ago was APEX&
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 Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission announced that it is moving hearings to Springfield because of significant water damage at its building in Collinsville.
Remediation work has started in Collinsville, but the commission said it is uncertain when it will be allowed to return to the building.
"It is our hope that the needed work will be completed quickly and our return to Collinsville will be soon," the commission said. "In the interim, we will make certain that sufficient space is made available in our Springfield office at 9th & Capitol, for hearings. There
A federal appellate court ruled that the workers’ compensation carrier for a now-defunct coal mine staffing company was entitled to pierce the corporate veil and void the transfer of the company’s assets to its three shareholder-directors.
Star Mine, a now-defunct Kentucky corporation, once operated as a coal mine staffing provider.
Kenneth Taylor Jr., Lee Bowles, and Todd P’Pool comprised the company’s board of directors and were its only corporate officers.
Star Mine obtained workers’ compensation coverage for which it would pay an estimated premium based on
The Oregon Court of Appeals upheld the denial of a worker’s claim for benefits for his diagnosis of adjustment disorder.
Case: Hayes v. Trimet, No. 864, 09/10/2026, unpublished.
Facts: Ronald Hayes worked for Trimet. He filed a workers’ compensation claim seeking benefits for his diagnosis of adjustment disorder.
Dr. Donna Wicher diagnosed Hayes with adjustment disorder with depressed features.
She initially said that 60% of the cause of the adjustment disorder was a 2023 work event that occurred while Hayes was driving a bus for employer and 40% of the cause was preexisting pe
The Oregon Workers' Compensation Division said announced plans to review the timeliness and accuracy of payments for arbiter and interpreter services.
The division said it will audit a sample of medical billing payments issued from April 1, 2025, through March 31, 2026, for arbiter and interpreter services. The focus of the review will be to assess the timeliness and accuracy of payments and to identify systemic issues or noncompliance patterns.
Insurers could face civil penalties if the division finds they are not paying bills correctly.
The WCD said it will contact carriers soon to sc
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
A New York appellate court ruled that a worker who fell on a permanent staircase at a construction site should have been granted summary judgment on his Labor Law claim.
Case: Riley v. Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, No. 156397/20, 595116/21, 09/10/2026, published.
Facts: Michael Riley suffered injuries while working on a construction project at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center when he fell down a permanent staircase.
Procedural history: Riley filed suit against MSK and the JGN Construction Corp., asserting claims for negligence and violations of the Labor Law.
JGN filed
The Louisiana Association of Self-Insured Employers is holding its annual conference Nov. 11-13 in Baton Rouge.
The conference will feature a legislative and legal update, as well as sessions exploring strategies for self-insured employers, best practices for handling high-stakes claims and a review of workers' compensation cost drivers including medical cost traps and provider practices.
LASIE said there will be 12 hours of continuing education credits in industry-related fields.
The 2026 conference is at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, 4728 Constitution Ave. in Baton Rouge.
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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
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
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