Quote of the day
"Right now, Pennsylvania employers are benefiting from the excellent job they are doing to provide safe workplaces for their employees."
Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, announcing the state's rate cut
Keystone State Approves 10.22 Percent Rate Cut
Pennsylvania insurance regulators approve a 10.22 percent decrease in the average cost of workers’ compensation insurance in the Keystone State. The total in workers’ comp paid dropped 64 percent from 2005 to 2006; the total cost dropped by $88 million to $1.73 billion in that same period, according to state figures.
Go to the full story by Ann Belser, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Go to the full story by Laura Walter, Occupational Hazards
Former Pro Football Player Spikes Original Ruling
Texas’ 10th Court of Appeals last year rejected a former Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman’s workers’ compensation claim, holding in a case of first impression that professional athletes cannot receive workers’ comp. But the player wins his rehearing. By Jonathan Fox, Texas Lawyer via Law.com
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Beehive State Bill Would Hinge Eligibility on Clean Criminal Record
Utah State Rep. Mike Morley’s attempt to help employers get injured workers kicked off of workers’ compensation rolls gets a cool reception from a state advisory committee. The bill would make ineligible for workers’ comp or disability payments an injured employee who has been convicted of a crime, including being in the country illegally. By Paul Rolly, Salt Lake Tribune [with photo] Go to the Full Story…
Billions Thrown at Back Pain Bring Little Relief: U-Dub Study
A new study by University of Washington researchers finds that, despite the billions of dollars spent in recent years on treating back pain, many people gain little relief. The scientists say cost increases are driven by prescription drugs, better diagnostic tests, outpatient visits, and greater demand for treatment and increased use of spinal fusion surgery and instruments. News-Medical.net
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Dealer Gets Winning Hand in Secondhand Smoke Case
A New Jersey workers’ compensation judge rules in favor of a casino dealer who claimed that 10 years of exposure to second-hand cigarette smoke while at work materially contributed to her lung cancer. UPI
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S.A. Miners’ Union Pins Hopes on Case Verdict
A South African trade union expresses hope that a case in the Johannesburg High Court will improve compensation for mineworkers suffering from occupational diseases. Mineweb
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