A new Publix Supermarket opened yesterday, across the street from the entrance to the community where I live. We’ve been anticipating the (supply chain delayed) opening of this store, as our area just east of Bradenton, Florida has been experiencing tremendous growth, and our traditional Lakewood Ranch Publix, just another mile or two down the…
In Managing Workers’ Comp, Emotions Are Best Left Out of the Decision Process
At the NWCDN Annual Conference in Nashville last week, a presenter shared a personal story about how their emotions once got the best of them when handling a particular claim. The speaker, whom I will not identify here, told the attendees about a claim that landed on their desk early in their career. In the course of…
Does the Jurisdiction Outweigh the Facts of a Workers’ Comp Case?
I attended the annual conference of the National Workers’ Compensation Defense Network (NWCDN) last week in Nashville. I’ve written many times about this particular group and their activities. It was great to gather once again in person, and for the first time in two years see many old friends as well as meet several new ones. Some…
Bob Wilson, Exempt Gentleman Basil Farmer
Since leaving my company of almost 23 years last month, I’ve had many people wish me well on my retirement. The only problem is, I didn’t ever say I was retiring. I left that company to start a new one, and while things there are percolating along quite nicely, I cannot say I have approached…
Putting Humpty Together Again
Workers’ Compensation, as an industry, has a marketing problem. It is probably better described as a messaging problem. It has long been true that the industry has been broadly defined by the negative stories that find their way into local and national press publications and media outlets. We have been generally ineffective at countering that…
From the Regulators Toolbox: The Carrot or the Stick?
Every craftsman needs the proper tools with which to complete their tasks. Each tool has a different scope and purpose, intended to perform a function within the overall mission at hand. Knowing what tool to use and when to use it is as much a part of a master’s skillset as the use of the…
Wellness Check for Welfare Recipients, and the Florida Man Phenomenon
While the topic today really doesn’t involve welfare payments specifically, it does involve what are described as disability payments, as well as the need to verify the recipient is still alive to receive them. And of course, this story originates in Florida. A Florida woman was charged earlier this month for concealing her dead mother’s body…
Who Balances the City of Baltimore’s Workers’ Comp Checkbook?
It was reported last month that the workers’ compensation system managed by the city of Baltimore was the victim of fraud that lasted more than a year. Between November 2020 and January 2022 over 300 unauthorized transactions drained a total of $317,241.71 from the city’s Compensation Claims Corporate Checking Account. According to Baltimore Inspector General Isabel Mercedes…
Could a “Council of States” for Standardization Actually Work?
Last week, I attended the 74th Annual Convention of the Southern Association of Workers’ Compensation Administrators (SAWCA). As I have done for the past 8 years or so, I moderated the event’s closing session, called “Things That Make Bob Go, Hmmm.” It is a panel where I am allowed to select the guests and discuss, well, anything…
Banning Assault Hot Dogs
I’ve never been one to shy away from tough and controversial topics of the day. This post is no exception. We once again find ourselves needing to confront dangers in society, and no matter how unpopular, address the elephant in the room. Especially when that elephant can needlessly injure people; in this case the first…