Impact of Reform on Prevalence/Costs of Physician-Dispensed Drugs: WCRI Study Shows Promising Results Overall of Amending Reimbursement Rates, by John Stahl, Esq. Enhancing the regulation of physician-dispensed drugs is one tactic that workers' compensation jurisdictions use in the war against the opioid epidemic that is costing workers' compensation systems millions of dollars. These methods include severely limiting the ability of a medical-care provider to dispense opioids and other prescription medications from his or her office and amending reimbursement rates under fee schedules to reduce financial incentives to operate these "pill mills." A September 2013 report from WCRI discusses and documents the effectiveness of the efforts described above. Read more.

Illinois: "Dual Capacity/Persona" Tort Action Against Morgan Stanley Fails. Applying the state's two-prong test to determine if the "dual capacity doctrine" could be utilized as an exception to the exclusive remedy provisions of the Illinois Workers' Compensation Act, a state appellate court recently held that the surviving spouse of a deceased Morgan Stanley employee killed in a private aircraft crash...Read more.

Ohio: $15,000 Settlement of Third-Party Claim Costs Injured Employee $61,500. Applying Ohio Rev. Code 4123.931(G), which provides in relevant part that if the injured employee settles with the third party without...Read more.

California: "Required Vehicle" Exception to Going and Coming Rule May Be Utilized in 3rd Party's Negligence Action Against Employer. Under California's "required vehicle" exception to the going and coming rule, injuries sustained during the commute are said to...Read more.

Federal: Since Contractor Was Required to Insure, Federal Government Was Immune From Tort Action. Affirming a decision of a federal district court, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals recently held that the United States could assert the exclusive-remedy provision of the Texas Workers' Compensation Act against an...Read more.

Loyola University New Orleans College of Law

In Conjunction with

The United States Department of Labor

Presents

DOL West Coast Symposium III

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

San Francisco Federal Bldg., 90 7th Street, Joint Auditorium B-040 - B-020,

7th and Mission, San Francisco, CA 94103

Register here. The West Coast has unique and interesting developments with respect to processing Longshore and Defense Base Act claims. In conjunction with Loyola University, the U.S. Dept. of Labor is putting on a West Coast Symposium to discuss some of these developments. Topics include Handling Claims before OWCP and the ALJ--A to Z; attorney fee awards; DBA issues including a discussion of 6(c) and pertinent recent legal cases; War Hazards issues; San Francisco OALJ pre-trial Procedures; and much more. CLE Credit Hours: 6.50