LA - Worker's Death From Aortic Dissection Not Compensable
06/03/2026 | 0
A Louisiana appellate court upheld a denial of benefits to the mother of a grocery store worker who died of an aortic dissection after the end of his shift.
Freddy Casas was a dairy manager at Rouse's Supermarket Store 69 in Baton Rouge. On Feb. 18, 2018, Casas worked an eight-hour shift at the store. That evening, he went to the hospital complaining of chest tightness, abdominal cramping, and leg and back pain.
Casas died early the next morning. An autopsy performed at the hospital confirmed the cause of death was an aortic dissection.
Casas’ mother filed a claim for death benefi
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A New York appellate court ruled that an injured worker’s employer was entitled to summary judgment dismissing the common-law indemnification claims against it, and on a counterclaim alleging that it failed to procure insurance.
Case: Maloney v. Night Castle Management, No. CV-24-1776, 05/07/2026, published.
Facts: Night Castle Management and American Young Voices LLC organized a children's concert in 2017 at what was then known as the Times Union Center.
To produce this show, AYV rented concert equipment from VER, which was loaded by VER from its warehouse onto a tractor-tra
A majority of New York’s highest court ruled that an Industrial Code provision on excavation was not specific enough to support liability under the Labor Law.
Case: Mann v. Mezuyon LLC, No. 39, 05/26/2026, published.
Facts: William Mann allegedly suffered injuries while working as a drill blaster at an excavation site when he was struck by an excavator machine.
The property was owned by Mezuyon LLC, and the excavation was being performed by Mayrich Construction Corp., Mann's employer.
Procedural history: Mann sued Mezuyon, asserting claims for negligence and violations of th
West Virginia’s Intermediate Court of Appeals upheld the denial of a worker’s claim of injury from his exposure to a chemical solvent.
Case: Palmer v. Loar Holdings Inc., No. 25-ICA-346, 05/01/2026, published.
Facts: Gary Palmer worked for Loar Holdings Inc. In February 2025, he went to the hospital with complaints of dizziness, lethargy, decreased energy, bowel bubbling with constipation, mental fogginess and occasional shortness of breath.
A urine test showed a small amount of ketones, consistent with contamination, and a trace of blood. Palmer was diagnosed with generali
A recent unpublished decision addressed the limitations of the Workers' Compensation Appeals Board to substitute findings of fact in the appellate process.
In Los Angeles Department of Water and Power vs. WCAB (Jeanette France), the Court of Appeal reversed a WCAB appellate decision that substituted new findings of fact in a Labor Code 132(a) case.
The applicant was employed by the Department of Water and Power when she sustained an accepted injury on Jan. 9, 2017, to her lower back and shoulder. She was terminated on Feb. 1, 2017. The applicant was not a traditional employ
The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries opened an investigation into the May 26 Longview chemical tank collapse that killed 11 workers.
The agency said now that all missing workers have been recovered from the Nippon Dynawave site, where a tank containing more than 500,000 gallons of caustic solution used to turn wood chips into paper pulp failed, it is investigating to determine whether there were any safety violations connected to the incident.
L&I said it has 180 days to complete the inspection and, based on the complexity and scale of this probe, it anticipates usin
Permanent partial disability benefits would increase by about 51% under a recently amended bill proposing the first benefit increase in California since SB 863.
Sen. Anna Caballero, D-Merced, on Monday amended SB 555 to propose increasing the range of wages used to calculate PPD benefits.
For injuries on or after Jan. 1, 2027, the minimum average weekly earnings would be $363, and the maximum would be $658.
SB 863 increased the wage range used to calculate PPD benefits to $240-$435, effective Jan. 1, 2014.
PPD benefits are equal to two-thirds of the injured workers' average e
Private self-insured employers reported fewer claims in 2025, but initial data shows signs of rising claim costs, the California Workers' Compensation Institute said.
The 84,996 claims reported last year were down 2.7% from 2024 and 18.5% below the 2022 peak, when thousands of COVID-19 claims pushed the total claim tally to 104,278.
Claim frequency among private self-insured employers fell to 3.83 claims per 100 employees last year from 3.88 claims per 100 employees in 2024. The frequency rate in 2025 was the lowest since 2020, CWCI said, adding that both indemnity and medical-
Claimants do not have to file a motion for rehearing to preserve error on an argument that the Workers' Compensation Commissioner rejects without a specific discussion, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled.
"A contrary holding would trigger unproductive motions for rehearing any time the agency filed to specifically address every supporting argument made by the party losing an issue," the high court said.
The Court of Appeals ruled that Jerry Hayes failed to preserve error on the argument that his employer was bound by the opinion of the doctor it selected to provide treatment, while a
A Texas appellate court overturned a trial court’s determination that a workers’ compensation insurance carrier was not entitled to recover the $350,000 it paid in medical benefits for a teacher’s injuries before her death.
Case: East Texas Educational Insurance Association v. Jones, No. 09-24-00191-CV, 05/28/2026, published.
Facts and procedural history: Mary Louise Jones worked as a teacher for the Little Cypress-Mauriceville Consolidated Independent School District. In May 2008, she was part of a group of teachers who traveled to Mexico for a Spanish immersion progr
West Virginia’s Intermediate Court of Appeals upheld an award of benefits to a worker for an ankle injury that occurred while breaking up a fight between two students.
Case: West Virginia Military Authority v. Brogan, No. 25-ICA-414, 05/01/2026, published.
Facts: Joseph Brogan worked as a squad leader at the Mountaineer Challenge Academy.
Brogan completed an undated workers’ compensation claim in January 2024, alleging that he sustained an injury to his left ankle while trying to break up a fight between two students at work earlier in the month.
In December 2023, Brogan had be
A New York appellate court ruled that a worker who slipped while standing on rebar was not entitled to summary judgment on his Labor Law claims.
Case: Gonzalez v. Navillus Tile Inc., No. 34386/20, 05/07/2026, published.
Facts: Paul Gonzalez allegedly suffered injuries while working on a construction project. He said he was standing on rebar and leveling freshly poured concrete when he slipped and fell, causing parts of his body to fall through the rebar and into the concrete.
Procedural history: Gonzalez filed suit against Navillus Tile Inc., asserting a claim for a violation of Labor Law S
A New York appellate court ruled that a motion by a Labor Law defendant for entry of a default judgment on its third-party claims should have been granted.
Case: Calle v. JRR Contracting Inc., No. 21943/20, 05/07/2026, published.
Facts and procedural history: Marco Calle filed a Labor Law action against JRR Contracting Inc., seeking to recover for injuries he sustained while performing construction work at a building.
JRR had been hired to perform façade restoration on the building, and it subcontracted the work to Regalado Contracting Inc.
JRR filed a third-party claim for indemnif
A former New York corrections officer pleaded guilty to making a false statement relating to healthcare matters and agreed to pay nearly a quarter of a million dollars in restitution.
Jovanny Concepcion, 34, falsely claimed that he was injured on duty at Riker's Island during incidents with inmates requiring the use of force. He received at least $232,427 in benefits to which he was not entitled, the New York State Inspector General's Office said in a statement.
Concepcion worked for the New York City Department of Corrections from June 2017 to April 2021. He is scheduled to be sente
The Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation opened registration for its virtual 2026 Medical & Health Symposium being held Sept. 16-18.
The theme for this year's event, "Approaches to Integrated Care in Occupational Health," highlights innovative strategies that are reshaping clinical practice and improving outcomes for injured workers, the bureau said.
"Designed for healthcare providers, administrators and legal professionals, MHS brings together thousands of attendees from Ohio and beyond for three days of learning, collaboration, and free continuing education
The New Mexico Workers' Compensation Administration is launching its new CaseX electronic case filing system on Friday.
The agency has posted a training video and user manual to the resources page of its website to help users prepare for the transition.
The current electronic filing system will shut down at 11 a.m. Friday to facilitate the transfer of information to the new system. Users will not be able to file during the transition period.
The agency said that if system users filed something on Friday before the shutdown but don't see it in CaseX on Monday, they should contact the
