New Study Claims No Association Exists Between CTS and Occupational Computer Use

By Teresa McLoughlin Rice, Esq.

The computer is now ubiquitous in our workplaces. But does all that keyboarding, typing, mouse clicking and mouse dragging cause or contribute to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome ("CTS")? Given the prevalence of both occupational computer usage and diagnosed cases of CTS, this topic generates a lot of debate. However, "popular belief" notwithstanding, the scientific data developed to date does not show an association between the two...read more.

Larson Advisory Board member Stephen C. Embry, Esq. testified at a legislative hearing last week.

Last week the Connecticut legislature held hearings on workers' compensation costs, with insurance industry representatives testifying that the costs are rising and thereby threatening jobs. But the "ghost of the day", according to Stephen C. Embry, was mental injuries, particularly like those arising from the Sandy Hook elementary school massacre. "I pointed out that the costs arose from injuries and death and that all that was left was a decision as to who should pay those costs -- the workers who could no longer work or the corporation that benefited from their labor," says Embry. "Since the 1980s we have been engaged in a massive income redistribution scheme to redistribute wealth from workers to managers. Workers' compensation 'reforms' have been a major part of this scheme....read more.

Thomas A. Robinson, J.D., our Feature National Columnist, is a leading commentator and expert on the law of workers' compensation.

New York: No Exclusive Remedy Defense for Alleged Videotaping of Lifeguards Changing Into Bathing Suits. A New York court has found, in relevant part, that the exclusive remedy defense may not be maintained by a former employer in a civil action filed against it by plaintiffs, all former lifeguards at the defendant's parks, alleging that...read more.

Nebraska: Failure to Follow Doctor's Orders Defeats Otherwise Compensable Claim. A Nebraska appellate court has affirmed a decision by the state's Workers' Compensation Court that limited an injured employee's medical benefits to the costs of his first medical appointment where it found that...read more.

Arkansas: Injured Worker Successfully Rebutted Statutory Presumption Related to Illegal Drugs. As is the case in a number of other jurisdictions, if an Arkansas worker tests positive for, among other things, marijuana metabolites, following a work-related injury, the employer enjoys a rebuttable presumption that...read more.

Virginia: Real Estate Developer Subject to Wrongful Death Action for Contractor's Employee. In a split decision, the Supreme Court of Virginia held that the trial court erred when it sustained a plea in bar and dismissed a wrongful death action filed against a property owner by the estate of...read more.

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