Stressing that a New York claimant’s obligation to demonstrate attachment to the labor market was predicated upon a finding of PPD, a state appellate court held it was inappropriate for a WCLJ to require a showing of labor market attachment where... Read More
A Pennsylvania appellate court found substantial evidence supported the Board’s decision to terminate compensation benefits in spite of the fact that the claimant credibly testified that he continued to experience pain resulting from the work-related... Read More
An Alabama Circuit Court Judge found unconstitutional two separate provisions of the Alabama Workers’ Compensation Act—the $220 cap on weekly PPD benefits [Ala. Code § 25-5-68] and a 15 percent cap on attorneys’ fees [Ala. Code... Read More
Evidence that an injured employee has returned to work in some capacity, standing alone, does not rebut the presumption of total disability where the uncontradicted medical evidence indicates the employee sustained loss of use to his back that exceeded... Read More
The Workers’ Compensation Board properly ruled that a worker sustained a permanent partial disability not amenable to a schedule award and a 15% loss of wage-earning capacity under N.Y. Work. Comp. Law § 15(3)(w)(xii)—a finding that set... Read More
When the adjuster sends you a benefit check if you are out of work due to your work accident, she should also send you a letter telling you how she calculated your average monthly wage (AMW). The AMW is the amount used to calculate your out-of-work compensation... Read More
In a 5–2 decision, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, reversing an earlier decision by the Commonwealth Court, held that a physician performing an Impairment Rating Evaluation (IRE) under § 306(a.2)(1) of the state’s Workers’ Compensation... Read More
Just before Thanksgiving, the Nevada Supreme Court published a turkey of a decision that robs injured workers of disability award money. In Public Agency Compensation Trust v. Blake, 127 Nev. Adv. Op. 77 (2011), the court invalidated a long-standing DIR... Read More
Stressing that under the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Act—except for scheduled-member cases—indemnity benefits are made for diminished wage-earning capacity and not medical impairment, as such, a state appellate court affirmed the... Read More
The recent Missouri Commission case of Baxter v General Motors Corp. , DOLIR 6-24-11, affirmed an award of benefits for disability when both experts concluded claimant did not reach maximum medical improvement. The claimant's surgeon examined... Read More