Latest Workers' Compensation Headlines

All the headlines from our Workers' Compensation Topic Page, ordered by recency.

California Workers’ Comp Direct Written Premium Continued to Fall Last Year, Report Shows

Jul 6 2020 // California workers’ compensation total direct written premium continued to decline in 2019, falling 7.0% to a five-year low of $11.42 billion, as nine out of the state’s 10 largest insurer groups wrote less...

Texas Work Comp Division: Healthcare Providers Indicted for Drug Distribution, Fraud

Jul 2 2020 // Three Texas healthcare providers will face trial for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and mail fraud, according to the Texas Department of Insurance – Division of Workers’ Compensation.On June 17,...

Missouri Contractor Fined $224K after Trench Collapse, Employee Injuries

Jun 30 2020 // A Missouri contractor has been cited by federal workplace safety officials for trenching and excavation violations after an employee suffered severe injuries when a 20-foot trench collapsed during excavation of Creve Coeur...

California Workers’ Comp Bureau Paid $4.6B Medical, $3.8B Indemnity Losses in 2019

Jun 30 2020 // The Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California has released its report on workers’ comp losses and expenses for 2019.Findings in the WCIRB report, 2019 California Workers’ Compensation...

Houston Pharmacist, Wife Sentenced in $21M Workers’ Comp Fraud Case

Jun 29 2020 // A Houston pharmacist has been sentenced to 10 years in prison in a $21 million workers’ compensation fraud case.George Philip Tompkins, 75, the self-proclaimed “Compound King” and former owner of Piney...

California Adopts Workplace Safety Standards Protecting Nighttime Ag Workers

Jun 26 2020 // California has adopted new workplace safety standards to protect agricultural employees who work at night.These are reportedly the first lighting standards in the nation written specifically to protect agricultural workers...

Iowa Lawmakers Dispute Finding of No Violations at Tyson Plant Despite Deaths

Jun 25 2020 // Iowa’s workplace safety agency says an inspection did not uncover any violations at Tyson Foods’ largest pork processing plant, where several employees died after contracting the coronavirus.The Iowa...

California Workers’ Comp Classification Inspection Report Expanded for Agents

Jun 23 2020 // The Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California is expanding its Special Inspection Report program to allow agents and brokers to request a WCIRB physical inspection of their clients’ California...

North Carolina Electric Distributor Cited for Safety Hazards at Florida Worksite

Jun 23 2020 // The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Florida Progress LLC, operating as Duke Energy Florida LLC, for exposing employees to excavation hazards at a Zephyrhills,...

There’s Plenty of Room for Improvement in U.S. Commercial Lines: Fitch

Jun 22 2020 // With an industry overall combined ratio for 2019 hovering just below 100, and individual lines like long-tail liability moving 10 points over breakeven, the U.S. commercial lines market has “plenty of room for...

New Jersey Manufacturer Fined for Failing to Correct Machine Hazards

Jun 22 2020 // The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Bravo Pak Inc. for failing to abate hazards at its Pennsauken, N.J., facility. The company owes $259,760 in penalties.In...

Worker Injured at Georgia Pyrotechnic Plant Previously Cited for Safety Violations

Jun 22 2020 // An explosion and flash fire badly burned the head, face and hands of a worker at a pyrotechnic plant in Georgia, an official said.The unidentified employee at Pyrotechnic Specialties, Inc. in Byron was airlifted June 17 to...

Florida Residual Workers’ Comp Plan Issues $27.6M in Premium Refunds

Jun 18 2020 // Nearly 13,000 policyholders of the Florida Workers’ Compensation Joint Underwriting Association (FWCJUA) will receive workforce premium refunds totaling $27.6 million over the next few months.According to the Florida...

California Orders Workers’ Comp Carriers to Return Premiums Due to Stay-At-Home Orders

Jun 17 2020 // California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara today issued an order adopting emergency workers’ compensation regulations in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.The new regulations go into effect on July 1. The...

Massachusetts’ A.I.M. Mutual Insurance Companies Hires Pitruzzello

Jun 17 2020 // Burlington, Mass.-based A.I.M. Mutual Insurance Companies has hired Glen Pitruzzello as director of Claim, responsible for claim operations throughout New England. In this capacity, he reports to President and CEO Michael...

California Workers’ Comp Direct Written Premium Continued to Fall Last Year, Report Shows

Jun 16 2020 // California workers’ compensation total direct written premium continued to decline in 2019, falling 7.0% to a five-year low of $11.42 billion, as nine out of the state’s 10 largest insurer groups wrote less...

OSHA Investigating Fatal Wisconsin Construction Accident

Jun 16 2020 // A fatal construction accident in Green Bay, Wisconsin is being investigated by federal regulators.The Green Bay Press-Gazette reports a 52-year-old man was killed Friday morning on the city’s northeast side. Police...

New Jersey Framing Contractor Facing $1.9M in Proposed Fines for Safety Hazards

Jun 12 2020 // The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is proposing penalties against BB Frame LLC, operating as Frame Q and as Owner and Principal Juan Quevedo, for exposing workers to...

A.M. Best Affirms North American Casualty Group Companies’ Ratings

Jun 10 2020 // Ratings issuer A.M. Best said it has removed from under review with negative implications and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A (Excellent) and Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings of “a” of five companies...

Workers’ Comp Carrier ClearPath Mutual Expands into Indiana, Tennessee

Jun 10 2020 // ClearPath Mutual Insurance Co. has expanded its workers’ compensation insurance offering into Indiana and Tennessee. According to ClearPath Mutual, when it began operations in 2018, the company applied for licenses...