It is a weak link; a chink in the armor if you will, in the concept of state-owned insurance solutions. The money they collect in reserves can be greedily eyed by less than competent politicians as a solution to their government’s financial ineptitude. Multiple state funds across the nation have faced the challenge on more…
Great Balls Afire – Those Silly Firefighters and Their Compensable Pranks
In the “now I’ve heard everything” department, we can bring you this compelling bit of news: A New Jersey Appellate Court has ruled that a firefighter who had his genitals burned by an exploding toilet at the hands of a prankster did so within the course and scope of his employment. We could probably end…
Smiling is the Newest Disability
It might be a stretch to say that smiling is a new disability. However, a study just published shows that employees who work with the public and who “force themselves to smile for customers or hide feelings of annoyance may be susceptible to heavy drinking after hours.” And of course, since heavy drinking may result in some form…
Walking the Workers' Recovery Talk – Are Jurisdictions Listening?
Six years ago, in 2013, I started my campaign to rebrand the workers’ compensation industry. As many people know, I believe it should be called “Workers’ Recovery.” The idea isn’t simply to change the name; the belief has been that the simple adjustment of one word would shift the focus of our industry, reduce litigation, save money…
Inaccurate Reporting Does Not Help Workers' Comp
The headline that caught my eye was “Sarasota lawmaker supports bill extending wait times for benefits to injured workers.” It opened with the sentence, “He claims he wants to protect workers who get hurt on the job, but State Sen. Joe Gruters (R-Sarasota) is backing a bill that would make injured workers wait 45 business…
In Florida Workers' Compensation Reform, a Swing and a Miss?
On a conference panel almost 3 years ago, after the Castellanos decision that found Florida’s plaintiff attorney fee caps unconstitutional, I predicted that the state legislature would respond with quiet deportment, waiting several years doing nothing until the pain became unbearable, and then would do something colossally stupid. That prediction wasn’t entirely accurate. The pain,…
A Bit O' Advice Regarding the 2019 Best Blog Program
Editors Note: This missive has run the last two year’s to encourage involvement in the Best Blogs Contest. Because it worked so well then, and because Bob is essentially a lazy good-for-nothing sloth, it runs again this year. It has been updated to reflect current statistics. Greetings, fellow bloggers. I do not know if you…
IAIABC and the Russian Recovery Collusion Illusion
Right off the bat we need to clarify that, while this story is about the IAIABC, Russians and recovery, there really is no collusion; except for a small group who traveled to the United States to share their story regarding Russia’s social welfare systems. It’s just that, in the media, you cannot write the word…
Coming Out in Support of Universal Basic Income
This may surprise many of you, but I have come to believe that the concept of Universal Basic Income (UBI), where everyone is guaranteed a basic income regardless of what they do, is an idea whose time has come. It just makes too much sense to ignore. Proponents of the idea have long argued that…
Should Legislative Reform Be Left Only to Attorneys?
Recent events in Alabama should serve to remind us that workers’ compensation works best when balanced across the multitude of interests that are affected by it. The failure of efforts from a task force that proposed legislative reforms in that state may be due to broader influences than what has been previously discussed. Birmingham attorney…