MN - Supreme Court Clarifies How Employer Can Rebut Causation for Police Officer's PTSD
07/28/2026 | 0
The Minnesota Supreme Court ruled that an employer is not limited to rebutting the statutory presumption of industrial causation for a police officer's post-traumatic stress disorder with an independent psychological evaluation, and that an evaluation based on outdated guidelines can be considered.
Nicholas Rowe served the City of Minneapolis as a police officer for 25 years. Over the course of his career, he responded to five mass shootings, six officer-involved shootings, hundreds of homicide calls and six incidents involving deceased children.
Before Rowe was hired, a psycho
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A Texas appellate court upheld the dismissal of a self-represented worker’s claims against his former employer due to governmental immunity.
Case: Everett v. Cleveland Independent School District, No. 09-25-00142-CV, 07/23/2026, published.
Facts: Thomas W. Everett worked for the Cleveland Independent School District. He alleged that he was wrongfully forced to resign under duress, and that the district fraudulently filed a workers’ compensation claim on his behalf.
Procedural history: Acting as his own attorney, Everett filed suit against CISD, asserting claims for wro
A Texas appellate court ruled that the Division of Workers’ Compensation may penalize a chiropractor for continuing to bill for services provided after his license expired.
Case: Vanderwerff v. Texas Department of Insurance, No. 15-25-00026-CV, 07/23/2026, published.
Facts: Eric Vanderwerff has provided chiropractic services to patients within the workers’ compensation system for more than 25 years.
Chiropractic licenses expire every two years unless renewed.
The Texas Board of Chiropractic Examiners issued a notice of biennial license renewal to Vanderwerff in August
A New York appellate court ruled that a worker should have been granted summary judgment on his Labor Law claim, and that the defendants were entitled to conditional summary judgment on their third-party indemnification claims.
Case: Canales v. Noble Construction Group LLC, No. 161247/19, 595182/20, 595970/21, 596029/21, 07/16/2026, published.
Facts: Jose Canales worked for C&L Concrete Corp. He allegedly suffered injuries while helping to carry an 800-pound end box, a type of electrical cabinet.
According to Canales, when his supervisor instructed him to assemble a team of co-work
At a June 26 meeting of California’s Commission on Health and Safety and Workers’ Compensation, daisyBill co-founder and CEO Catherine Montgomery detailed some of the serious administrative obstacles providers face when treating injured workers.
DaisyBill’s testimony left commissioners with “their jaws open,” in the words of CHSWC chair Nicholas Roxborough.
CHSWC recommends improvements to the workers’ comp system, reporting directly to the Department of Insurance and the governor. With hard evidence and verifiable data, w
Don Hofer was appointed to the Workers' Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau Governing Committee, the Department of Insurance announced.
The department also announced that Andrea Hecht and Jim Taylor were appointed to represent insurers on the California Insurance Guarantee Association board of governors.
Hofer, vice president for Shea Homes Northern California Division, joins the WCIRB Governing Committee in the insured employer representative seat with a term ending on July 16, 2028, the department said.
According to the WCIRB website, Hofer was appointed to serve as a public member o
The National Council on Compensation Insurance reported that medical inflation softened in June, but added that the trend is likely only temporary.
NCCI reported that overall workers' compensation medical costs in June 2026 are 1% higher than they were at the same point in 2025.
The 1% growth rate compared to a 1.9% average inflation rate over the last 12 months and three- and five-year averages of 2.5%. NCCI said it anticipates that the softening in June is temporary and that inflation "will move up toward a 2% to 2.5% range over the next several quarters."
Hospital out
Florida's Statewide Nominating Commission for Judges of Compensation Claims is meeting Aug. 24 to interview two candidates for reappointment and to consider applications for new appointments.
Commission members will interview judges Ray Holley and Rita Young, who are up for reappointment.
Holley has served as a judge of compensation claims since 2010. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Stetson University, his master’s degree from the University of North Florida and his juris doctor from Stetson University. Holley was last reappointed to the Jacksonville office in 2023.
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The Oregon Court of Appeals granted reconsideration of its decision that had overturned a ruling by the Workers’ Compensation Board eliminating a worker’s impairment award, and it adhered to its conclusion that reversal of the board was required.
Isa Dean underwent a magnetic resonance imaging scan in 2006 that showed degenerative changes in her lumbar spine.
In 2009, Dean began working for Multnomah County. After a few years, she sought chiropractic treatment for low-back pain, which her providers associated with ergonomic conditions at her workstation.
In 2017, Dean began a di
Jacksonville, FL – July 10, 2026 – PhysNet welcomes Michelle Despres, PT, EMBA as Chief Operating Officer, strengthening its leadership team as the company enters its next stage of national growth.
A licensed physical therapist and seasoned healthcare executive, Michelle brings a strong blend of clinical insight, operational leadership, and people-centered strategy. S
Estimated paid costs in California increased 13.5% in 2024, according to the 2025 annual report that the Commission on Health and Safety and Workers’ Compensation released last week.
Medical, indemnity and expense costs increased to $24.516 billion in 2024 from $21.594 billion in 2023, according to the 2025 report released Thursday and the report released last year.
The biggest increase was expenses, which jumped 25.8% to $9.734 billion from $7.735 billion.
Medical costs increased 8.61% to $7.933 billion from $7.304 billion, while indemnity increased 4.49% to $6.849 billion from $6.55
A Louisiana appellate court upheld a judge’s decision prohibiting a worker from introducing witnesses and evidence at trial on his claim, as well as the involuntary dismissal of his claim.
Case: Honeycutt v. Acentria Insurance, No. 2026-CA-0012, 07/17/2026, published.
Facts: Andrew Honeycutt was working as a concrete delivery driver for Intrastate Trucking LLC on July 15, 2022, when the truck he was driving turned over into a ditch.
Intrastate had been hired by Landrieu Concrete and Cement Industries LLC.
Procedural history: Honeycutt filed a workers’ compensation claim against
IA - Court Orders Dismissal of Worker's Bad Faith Claim
An Iowa appeals court ruled Wednesday that a city had a reasonable basis to dispute a municipal worker’s cumulative knee injury claim, requiring dismissal of his bad faith lawsuit.
In Wall v. City of Des Moines, the Iowa Court of Appeals reversed a trial judge’s refusal to grant the city summary judgment and remanded the case for dismissal.
Jeffrey Wall, who worked for the city from 1999 until his retirement in 2021, alleged that years of bending, lifting and climbing in and out of trucks caused a cumulative injury to his left knee. He underwent knee replacement surgery
A New York appellate court ruled that a worker struck by a falling stone panel was entitled to summary judgment on his Labor Law claim.
Case: Morina v. 250 Broadway Associates Corp., No. 161431/21, 07/06/2026, published.
Facts: Veli Morina worked for Harvard Maintenance as a stone mechanic. He suffered injuries when a 350-pound stone panel fell and struck his head.
According to Morina, two of his co-workers were trying to place the panel on an A-frame dolly when one of them lost his grip, causing the panel to slip.
Procedural history: Morina filed suit against 250 Broadway Owner Corp.
A New York appellate court upheld a determination that a worker raised a viable Labor Law claim against the co-owners of a property where he allegedly suffered injuries.
Case: Chacho v. Cudney, No. 2024-13486, 07/15/2026, published.
Facts: Boris Alex Cabanilla Chacho allegedly was injured while working at an elevated height at premises owned by William James Cudney, Elizabeth Zehe, Gabriel Hartman Stein and Ariel Celeste Azoff.
Procedural history: Chacho filed suit against the owners, asserting claims for negligence and violations of the Labor Law. He also filed suit against Co Adaptiv
A Florida appellate court ruled that a municipal employer should have been granted summary judgment dismissing a disabled former police officer’s claims that it had breached the terms of its agreement resolving a dispute over the settlement of his workers’ compensation claim.
Joseph Viera began working for the City of Lake Worth Police Department in April 2000. In December 2000, he was injured while responding to an emergency call.
The city approved Viera’s disability retirement in June 2001.
Viera also filed a workers’ compensation claim, which the city settled in 2
The California Division of Workers' Compensation updated sections of the Official Medical Fee Schedule covering hospital departments and ambulatory surgical centers to conform to the latest changes made by Medicare.
The division said the order updating the hospital outpatient department and ASC section of the fee schedule adopts the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services ASC Payment Rates Addenda and CMS Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System Addendum A and Addendum B.
CMS revised both files July 13, after the division had already announced quarterly fee schedule adjust
