Governor Signs Law That Seeks to Finally End Debate on Voluntary Abandonment

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine enacted a bill aimed at clarifying benefit eligibility for claimants who can't work for reasons other than disabling injuries, a concept known as voluntary abandonment. House Bill 81, which also makes a number of other changes to the state's comp law, seeks to end years of confusion over numerous, fact-specific state Supreme Court decisions. “It definitely helps, as 'voluntary abandonment' has been completely removed from workers' compensation jargon,” said Phil Fulton, a claimants' attorney who helped draft the bill. Robert “B...