Quote of the day
"The Sept. 11 responders are one step closer to finally receiving the money they deserve. It's pathetic that this issue should even be considered, and it's absolutely disgusting that the people who helped New York City the most are now being helped the least."
Megan Stewart, columnist, Washington Square News
Did Oklahoma Lt. Gov. Block Workers’ Comp Reform?
Oklahoma Lt. Gov. Jari Askins, a Democrat, breaks a tie vote in the Oklahoma Senate that opponents say blocked a workers’ compensation reform amendment. Republican Sen. James Williamson of Tulsa says the amendment would have required Senate confirmation of gubernatorial appointments of judges to the Worker’s Compensation Court, which he contends is stacked with anti-business, pro-trial lawyer judges. By AP via KSWO-TV
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Editorial: Ailing Ground Zero Responders Deserve Compensation
In the months that followed the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, workers spent hundreds of hours at ground zero sifting through the debris and cleaning the twisted metal and remains of the towers, and their health began to deteriorate. But the government has turned its back on these people because it’s too expensive.
By Megan Stewart, Washington Square News (New York University)
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Make Sure Post-Storm Contractors Carry Workers’ Comp
Roofers, carpenters and people in other trades flock to South Florida to help rebuild after storms. Hurricanes and desperation are magnets for dishonest contractors and con artists. Before hiring anyone, make sure the contractor carries workers’ compensation insurance for employees. South Florida Sun-Sentinel
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Some Palmetto State Firefighters May Get Extra Coverage
South Carolina’s Calhoun County Council agrees to consider local fire officials’ request to provide insurance benefits for the all-volunteer force. Under the current state workers’ compensation system, an injured firefighter receives a maximum of $140 a week; the additional insurance could provide a supplement of up to $550 a week. Times and Democrat (Orangeburg, S.C.)
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Connecticut Court Vacates $41 Million Verdict for Girder Accident
The Connecticut Supreme Court issues a directed judgment in favor of a New Jersey contractor that had been found liable for more than $41 million in connection with an accident that left a worker a paraplegic after a defectively welded girder fell on his head. By Thomas B. Scheffey, Connecticut Law Journal
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