We know that workers’ comp is at times controversial, and that case related decisions and determinations rarely make everyone happy. Still, through the din of disagreement there is usually a thread of logic that can help define issues and justify outcomes. A previously recognized standard or doctrine is often in place that supports the decision…
Never Waste a Pandemic: The Blurry Vision Regarding Workers’ Comp 2020
In 2010 this website published a series of articles penned by well-known workers’ compensation professionals conjecturing on what the industry might look like ten years down the road. Called the “Workers’ Comp 20/20” series, they were intended to provide a “vision” of what the industry might look like and how it would operate in the…
Justices Denied: DeSantis Veto Was a Mistake
As first reported by Nancy Grover last week, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis vetoed Florida HB 1049, which “would have increased the pay of the state’s judges of compensation claims to equal that of county court judges.” Passed by the legislature to bring the first pay raise Florida workers’ compensation judges would have seen in well over…
The House with Slow Children – Inconceivable!
Judge David Langham, in a blog titled “Inconceivable!” posted last week on this website, outlined the importance of the meaning of words, particularly in a legal context. He discusses the challenges of the various components of our government in crafting, interpreting and deploying legislation. His points are well made, but the principle behind his post, that “words…
Working From Home? We'll Apparently Drink to That!
An article that appeared Friday on this site, from the National Safety Council, told us of a survey that presents yet another concern for the workers’ compensation industry. It indicated people who suddenly found their work based from home due to the COVID pandemic were more likely to drink on the job as a result. It found…
Becoming Virtual Virtuosi
There are a couple different schools of thought when it comes to the topic of learning how to swim. As a child, I learned to swim through formalized lessons at the Erlton Swim Club of Cherry Hill, New Jersey. There were weeks of lessons where multiple instructors guided shivering young children (it was early summer,…
In Workers' Comp, Inconsistency Remains Our Most Consistent Trait
Oh, what a difference a state line makes. In Florida, a work-at-home workers’ compensation claims professional who tripped over her dog while reaching for a cup of coffee could not receive workers’ compensation benefits. If she moved just a few miles north, over the Georgia border, it would now be a different story. Last week the State…
An Open Offer to State Regulators Regarding Workers' Recovery
Editor’s Note: It has been an extraordinarily hectic few weeks here at WorkersCompensation.com, and Bob has found it difficult to maintain this blog while dealing with the COVID related demands on his business. In the interim, we have decided to offer a few past posts that are near and dear to his heart. He expects to…
Workers' Compensation Should Be Called Workers' Recovery
Editor’s Note: It has been an extraordinarily hectic few weeks here at WorkersCompensation.com, and Bob has found it difficult to maintain this blog while dealing with the COVID related demands on his business. In the interim, we have decided to offer a few past posts that are near and dear to his heart. He expects…
Defining the Essential Worker in the Era of COVID
Are you an “essential worker?” Am I? Does the contribution you make to the economy and society in general through the course of your work make any difference? Are we essential, or not? Doesn’t every position hold some value to the greater good? In the era of COVID-19, there has been a great deal of…