Blog
Recent Blog Posts
Court orders workers comp board to consider paying for medical marijuana
WORKERS COMP LEGAL UPDATE As you can see from this article (click HERE), the New Hampshire Supreme Court overruled that state’s Industrial Commission when that Commission refused to order a carrier to pay for medical marijuana. “Because the board found that (claimant’s) use of medical marijuana is reasonable, medically necessary, and causally related to his Read More
Illinois Court Appeals wants to make all parking lot injuries compensable
ILLINOIS WORKERS COMP UPDATE The Illinois Court of Appeals handed down a decision in Smith v. IWCC on January 8, 2019, reversing a unanimous Commission decision which denied benefits to claimant who slipped and fell on an ice-covered parking lot and held that the petitioner failed to show an increased risk. (Read the entire decision Read More
MO Update: Industrial Commission denies Perm Total from psychological trauma following heat exhaustion
Quick MO Workers Compensation Update On January 31, 2019, the Missouri Industrial Commission rendered an award in Miles Thomas v. Fred Weber Construction (to read the entire decision, click HERE). EMERGING TREND This case is a great example of the trend that I have been seeing for several years now – – claimant has a Read More
MO Comp Update: Industrial Commission FINALLY gets it right on Objective vs. Subjective Complaints
Missouri Workers Compensation Update Since the Missouri Workers Compensation Act was amended in 2005, the Industrial Commission has consistently failed to properly apply this provision: §287.190.6(2): “In determining compensability and disability, where inconsistent or conflicting medical opinions exist, objective medical findings shall prevail over subjective medical findings.” In the case of Danny Harris v. Ralls Read More
MO Comp Update – Commission upholds questionable future medical award but calls for legislative changes
Quick MO Workers Compensation Legal Update The Missouri Industrial Commission handed down a decision on December 20 in Cynthia Null v. Albany Medical Center (click HERE to read the entire decision) In this unanimous decision from the Industrial Commission, an award of future psychiatric medical care for the life of the employee was upheld by Read More
MO Comp Update – Commission denies compensability of CTS claim based on diabetes
The Missouri Industrial Commission denied a Carpal Tunnel Syndrome claim (CTS) on the basis that the claimant was a diabetic and there was limited evidence linking the CTS with the claimant’s work duties. The award from the Commission, in the case of Ricky Volner v. Meramec Group, can be read here. Since this decision is Read More
IL Industrial Commission finds off-premises break-time injury non-compensable
Illinois Workers Compensation Legal Update On Sept. 28, 2018, the IL Industrial Commission handed down the award in Suits v. Marquette Group. (Read the entire decision HERE. ) In this case, claimant was on break and was taking a walk off-premises, slipped and fell on a sidewalk, and filed a claim for compensation. The IL Read More
MO Workers Comp Update – New Commission Reverses Perm Total award for tripping over a dog in a waiting room
This is the first major decision from the new Missouri Industrial Commission where Gov. Greitens appointed the Employer rep, Reid Forrestor, and Gov. Parson appointed the new Chairman, Robert Cornejo, just last month. You can read the Commission’s decision in Lucielle Schoen v. Mid Missouri Mental Health by clicking HERE. Facts Claimant inhaled bug spray Read More
Nationwide Legal Trend – Employers increasingly unable to discipline employees who use Medical Marijuana
Today’s Missouri Lawyers Weekly chronicles a new nationwide trend that seeks to prevent Employers from disciplining employees who fail a drug test after using medical marijuana. (Read the Missouri Lawyers Weekly Article by clicking here. ) As you can see, several states have rebuked Employers for terminating the employment of individuals who use medical marijuana and Read More
Illinois Doctors can now prescribe medical marijuana instead of opioids – Even for Work Injuries
ILLINOIS Workers Compensation Update Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner signed Senate Bill 336 into law Aug. 28, 2018, a measure that significantly expands Illinois’ medical marijuana program by enabling patients to access medical marijuana in place of pharmaceutical opioid medications. You can read the entire bill HERE. Effective immediately, physicians will have the authority to offer Read More