A firefighter received compensation for the medical costs of his occupational hearing loss. Why didn’t he get additional permanent partial disability (PPD) benefits? Glenn Hankel worked as a firefighter for the Jefferson Parish Fire Department in Louisiana for 31 years until his retirement. Hankel claims exposure to loud noise as a firefighter led to a […]
A California restaurant owner pleaded guilty Oct. 8 to multiple felony charges related to a workers’ comp insurance scheme involving failure to report $4.5 million in wages to insurance carriers. The owner has to repay more than $2 million in restitution and may be sentenced to 16 months in prison in accordance with the terms of […]
A California agriculture company owner and his daughter were arraigned Sept. 14 on multiple felony counts of insurance fraud for an alleged $2.5 million workers’ comp scheme. Felipe Saurez Barocio, owner of Agriculture Services Inc., and his daughter, Angelita Barocio-Negrete, allegedly underreported employee payroll by $11 million to reduce the company’s premium for workers’ comp […]
One out of every 2,500 claims get this large
An independent truck driver couldn’t convince an appeals court his injury from lighting a firework in a warehouse was work-related despite it occurring on customer property while he was picking up a load. The driver claimed setting off fireworks was a way for him to build a relationship with his clients, so his injuries were […]
An employee said she hurt her shoulder at work on her last day before a vacation. She went to a doctor after she got back. Did she get workers’ comp benefits?
It’s a classic conundrum: If an employee is injured walking to or from their car before or after work, is the injury eligible for workers’ comp?
Safety directors and supervisors know that personal protective equipment (PPE) works. Most employees say they believe PPE works, too. So why do safety directors and managers see workers not wearing PPE when they should be?
An employee suffered serious injuries at work, which were covered under workers’ comp. But one question remained: Did he suffer compensable psychological injuries, too?
