Top Story: Wednesday, July 16, 2025

R.I. - Split Supreme Court Upholds Grant of Duty Disability Pension for State Trooper

A divided Rhode Island Supreme Court upheld a determination that a state trooper was entitled to a duty disability pension. Staci Shepherd worked as a trooper for the Rhode Island State Police for 22 years. She suffered a heart attack while participating in a firearms requalification program in May 2017. Shepherd underwent the placement of three cardiac stents and, in April 2019, requested retirement from the State Police. Shepherd advised that she… Read more »

W.Va. - Worker Can't Add Multiple Conditions to Claim, but Court Remands for Reconsideration of One

West Virginia’s Intermediate Court of Appeals upheld the denial of a worker's attempt to add multiple conditions to his claim but ruled that the Board of Review had to reconsider the compensability of his thoracic disc displacement. Case: Farmer v. West Virginia Parkways, Economic Development & Tourism Authority, No. 24-ICA-387, 06/11/2025, published. Facts: Christopher Farmer worked for the West Virginia Parkways,… Read more »

N.Y. - Worker Who Fell From Ladder Gets Summary Judgment on Labor Law Claim

A New York appellate court ruled that a worker was entitled to summary… Read more »

Pa. - Court Upholds Employer's Termination of Benefits

The Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania upheld a determination that an employer was entitled to… Read more »

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WV Worker Can't Add Multiple Conditions to Claim, but Court Remands for Reconsideration of One

Wash. - Sawmill Worker's Fingertip Loss Leads to Fines

The Washington Department of Labor & Industries levied fines totaling $153,000 against a sawmill operator with a history of safety violations after a worker lost a fingertip in a machine mishap. L&I inspectors cited 12 dangerous practices at RSG Forest Products Inc.'s Kalama mill, some of which concerned the machine that the worker was using at the time of the accident. His hand was injured… Read more »

Ntl. - Report: Overexertion Top Driver of Comp Costs

Overexertion, falls and being struck by an object or equipment are the costliest workers' compensation injuries, accounting for more than half of the $58.8 billion spent, based on 2022 data, Liberty Mutual Insurance Co. revealed in its safety report released Tuesday. The study named overexertion involving outside sources as the top cause, accounting for $13.7 billion in costs, largely due to manual material… Read more »

Calif. - QME Exam Scheduled for October

The California Division of Workers' Compensation announced that it is accepting applications for the next qualified medical evaluator examination, being held Oct. 4-10. The DWC said it will offer in-person, computer-based testing using Pearson VUE. The division also said CPS HR Consulting, the vendor managing the exam, will send notices to… Read more »

Ntl. - Lawmakers Ask GAO to Probe FECA

A pair of Republican lawmakers on the House Education and Workforce Committee are asking the U.S. Government Accountability Office to examine the integrity and efficiency of the workers' compensation program for federal workers. U.S. Reps. Tim Walberg, R-Mich., and Ryan Mackenzie, R-Penn., on Monday sent a letter to the GAO that the Federal Employees' Compensation… Read more »

Ntl. - DOL Reduces Penalties for Safety Violations

The U.S. Department of Labor announced rules allowing a 15% reduction in penalties for employers that immediately address or correct a workplace safety violation. At the same time, the agency announced that the 70% penalty reduction that was once limited to employers with no more than 10 workers is being applied to… Read more »

Calif. - CAAA: Fireworks Warehouse Blast Exposes Flaws in Safety, Oversight, Accountability

by CAAA Communications Team

Four days after a massive explosion engulfed an Esparto fireworks storage facility operated by Devastating Pyrotechnics, rescue workers finally began sifting through the rubble in search of seven workers missing since the blast. The fiery disaster that ignited a… Read more »