This morning finds me in New Mexico. My 99-year-old father took a fall last week, and after a brief hospital stay, he has been placed in a nursing center for follow up care. As a result, I made last minute plans to fly out here to visit him and help my sister with some of…
The Week's (Completely) Absurd
As the weekend approaches, we leave workers’ compensation behind for a brief respite. I have to warn you. This week’s collection of absurd stories is not for the faint of heart. This week involves drugs, hot watches, body cavity searches and very strange injections. Proceed at your own risk. When we’re done, you’ll be happy…
Clogging Our Way Out of Plantar Fasciitis
This may be handy information for the folks who handle “repetitive walking” claims from correctional officers of Illinois’ Menard Correctional Center. And since our industry sees its fair share of foot related issues from a variety of jobs that are hard on the feet, this may be useful to a broader group as well. The good news…
When Your Employee is Arrested for Assault with a Dead Chicken
First, we should unequivocally state that the incident discussed here did not occur at a Waffle House. That little bit of information alone should be enough to make the risk management team at that august 24-hour a day institution jump for joy. They should all take an extra thousand out of petty cash and enjoy…
Doctor, Respect Thy Patient's Time
In most businesses, routine tardiness and delay is not accepted or expected. Unfortunately, in the medical world, the opposite is often the case. We not only tolerate delays and late appointments when dealing with medical professionals; we practically expect and plan for that very specific inconvenience. Expecting it, however, makes it no less frustrating. I…
Wanted: 80 Hour a Week Part Time Assistant for Egotistical Twit
No, I’m not looking for an assistant. This story is about some other egotistical twit. Actually, it is about someone who sounds like an egomaniacal dumbass; one who needs an assistant to do his actual job. Perhaps I should ‘splain a bit. A help wanted ad on the website seek.com went viral last week simply…
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Campaign Fined for Failure to Provide Workers' Comp
You know, “fighting for the people” should mean protecting them on the job. But it doesn’t always work out that way. Sometimes you need to know the nuanced requirements of the fight. The campaign of U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the newly enthroned socialist darling of the left and delightfully ignorant foil of the right, has been fined…
When Tech Collides and Robots Die: The Video
I am supposed to be at CES in Las Vegas this week. Colloquially known as the “Consumer Electronics Show,” CES is the largest technology exposition and conference in the world. Last year 189,000 people swarmed sessions and exhibits in 11 Las Vegas locations to catch a glimpse of the technology that will change our lives…
But Where Would She Holster the Weapon?
Workplace violence is on the rise and is an increasing concern for employers. In an unusual case in Florida (of course), police have potentially stopped what could have been an incident of workplace violence that may have resulted in many casualties. Or they just nabbed a whack-job that could have randomly gone off anywhere or…
My Predictions for Last Year, How Close Was I?
It is time to review the accuracies of last year’s annual (or occasionally semi-annual) predictions for the future. As per usual, I did not get many things right, but I see no reason for that to discourage me from trying it again. I published my “Top Ten” predictions for 2018 on January 10, 2018. I feel compelled…