A decision by the New York Board that directed an injured worker to begin a weaning process from his long-term opioid prescription treatment program was supported by substantial evidence, held a state appellate court. The worker’s claim was established... Read More

Where an injured Nebraska employee relocated to Florida and there sought long-term opioid medications, combined with benzodiazepines, and muscle relaxants that had been prescribed by a Florida physician, the employer was not required to pay for the treatment... Read More

A significant proportion of physician-dispensed strong opioids may not have been necessary at all Thomas A. Robinson, J.D., the Feature National Columnist for the LexisNexis Workers’ Compensation eNewsletter , is a leading commentator and expert... Read More

By Jennifer C. Jordan, Esq., General Counsel, MEDVAL, LLC On April 20, 2016, the IAIABC kicked off the National Conversation on the Future of Workers’ Compensation at its Forum in Santa Fe, New Mexico. In a three hour session, questions were... Read More

Concomitant Benzodiazepine-Opioid Use Increases Risks of Adverse Outcomes Adding additional strength to the swell of medical research warning us about the dangers of combining opioid and benzodiazepine medications, a recent study published by the International... Read More

According to the Department of Industrial Relations Director Christine Baker, “ opioid misuse is a national concern ”. As a result of this “misuse”, the Division of Workers’ Compensation recently posted proposed “ Guidelines... Read More

A report from the California Workers’ Compensation & Risk Conference, Sept. 10-12, 2014, Dana Point, CA By David Bryan Leonard, Esq. Without pause, Christine Baker, Director of the California Department of Industrial Relations, took the... Read More

NCCI Symposium Reports First Responder Bills Top List of 2015 Legislation . NCCI Symposium: Dr. Victor Shares Insights on Physician Dispensing . NCCI Symposium: CWCI Shares Insights on Calif. Medical Dispute Resolution . NCCI Symposium: Moody’s... Read More

Last week LexisNexis published an Emerging Issues Analysis article on prescription drugs and workers’ compensation written by Thomas A. Robinson, the co-author of Larson’s Workers’ Compensation Law . The article examines opioid use,... Read More

Key takeaways from a recent Tennessee case for both injured workers and employers When do an injured worker’s actions, which led to a tragic overdose of opioids in the Kilburn case, constitute an independent intervening cause and thereby release... Read More

NCCI Suggests Younger and Older Employees’ Claims Are Comparable By John Stahl, Esq. Recent research by the National Council on Compensation Insurance, Inc., (NCCI) questions the belief that the aging American workforce is at the eye of the... Read More

A Michigan Survey Suggests That Medical Marijuana Patients Are Decreasing Opioid Use to Treat Chronic Pain Two topics that have received a great deal of attention in recent years regarding the medical treatment of chronic pain have been the use and... Read More

Jury Still Out on Effectiveness of Workers’ Compensation Reforms By John Stahl, Esq. A November 21, 2013 seminar titled “The Legal Perspective of the Latest Workers’ Compensation Reforms” at the 22nd Annual National Workers’... Read More

A recent study published by Workers’ Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) argues that there is indeed a causal relationship between the practice of providing extensive opioid prescriptions to an injured worker and the duration of that workers’... Read More

A New Report Looks at the Early Data in 25 States to See How Opioid Abuse Reform Efforts are Faring in Workers' Compensation Claims In light of the epidemic in deaths caused by prescription opioid overdoses and abuse building since at least the... Read More