Every year the Workers’ Compensation Institute, as part of their annual educational conference in Orlando, holds a service day supporting the non-profit organization Give Kids the World (GKTW). Last year over 1,100 volunteers from the workers’ compensation industry turned out for the effort. 44 of them represented Kids’ Chance of Florida for the day. This…
Should There Be Workers' Comp Caseload Caps?
It was one of the more controversial suggestions to come out of a recent Hot Seat Webinar that was held July 9th. The topic was “Delays in Treatment for Compensable Workers’ Comp Claims,” and the guests joining Judge David Langham and myself were Kentucky Commissioner Bob Swisher and Florida attorney Rosemary Eure. Much of the conversation had…
Screwing Up Workplace Violence Bigly
We know that workplace violence has become a very big issue in the world of workers’ compensation. The nation continues to see an uptick in the number of incidents and severity of injuries from this phenomenon. While the vast majority of victims of workplace violence remain in the healthcare industry, those people who deal with…
Tragic Toddler Grease Trap Death Is a Double-Edged Sword of Liability
The death of a 3-year-old boy yesterday in Rochester, NY was a tragic accident; one that has both potential workers’ compensation and tort liabilities for the owner of the business where he died. Authorities say he fell into an unsecured grease trap behind a Tim Horton’s Restaurant. He had been taken to the business by his mother, who was…
Thanks, and Congrats to Kids' Chance of New Jersey
This morning I am sitting in the airport in Newark, NJ, waiting for my flight home. I had the opportunity to attend the Annual Kids’ Chance of New Jersey Gala last night, as well as the honor of being their Keynote speaker. It was an outstanding event that not only raised fund for the organization,…
Florida's PEO Coverage Gap Part 2: Striking a Nerve
As I’ve noted previously, the workers’ compensation industry is a relatively quiet one when it comes to responding or commenting to online articles and social media. I’ve observed that both on this website and on various social media platforms such as within LinkedIn groups. Normally, while membership and readership appear high, the interactive commenters are…
Tomorrow's Hot Seat Webinar Topic One of Most Contentious: What Causes Delays in Treatment?
We are set to launch the ninth episode of the Hot Seat Webinar program tomorrow, entitled “Delays in Treatment for Compensable Workers’ Comp Claims.” It will be webcast at 1:00PM eastern and is sponsored by Safety National. The program is described as taking “an in depth look at the issues of delayed treatment in workers’ comp…
Death of 15 Year Old Roofer is a Concern Bigger Than Just Workers' Comp
Sometimes you can tell the level of disgust a news story will generate just by reading the headline. Such was the case with yesterday’s news, and a story whose banner read, “15-year-old dies after falling on first day of work for Alabama roofer, cops say”. It told of the death of an underage Guatemalan boy who died…
Distracted Driving in a Type A World
It is no secret that, when it comes to driving, I am a Type A personality. I know this will be difficult to believe, but behind the wheel I am not the normal, serene, easy going, puppy hugging, Kumbaya singing, Zen inducing peacenik you have come to know and love. Well, ok, one you have come…
Betting on Vetting for the Comp Laude® Awards
I’ve been involved with the Comp Laude® Awards program for a number of years now. I have been a judge. I have served on the nominating committee. This year I have just completed my responsibilities as a member of the Vetting Committee. Each year I am reminded of the very positive things our industry has to offer.…