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

How does a state legislature determine if its workers' compensation laws are performing effectively? One way is to examine the costs paid by the state's employers and gauge those costs against the post-injury outcomes achieved by injured workers. But while data related to the first issue is relatively easy to come by--carriers and employer groups maintain detailed records as to such outlays--when it comes to assessing worker outcomes, the story is much different. There is a paucity of objective information...If only someone or some organization could come up with an objective study that spoke more in macro and less in anecdotal terms? WCRI has completed the first part of a new multi-phase study to do just that--to identify important predictors of worker outcomes for injured workers who have sustained workplace injuries...read more.

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

Kentucky: No Causal Connection Between Need for Additional Treatment and Work-Related Injuries 23 Years Ago. Testimony by a claimant that she continued to have pain and discomfort almost 23 years after sustaining a work-related back injury, together with a physician's notes...read more.

Florida: Deputy Sheriff's Claim Related to Vehicle Accident Not Barred by Going and Coming Rule. Deputy Sheriff, who came upon a tractor-trailer parked in the right-of-way and jutting into his lane, decided to take steps to protect other motorists from the hazard, but ran into...read more.

North Carolina: Delayed Plane, Busy Christmas Season Insufficient to Support FedEx Driver's Stroke Injury Claim. A North Carolina appellate court has affirmed the denial of the workers' comp claim of a 59-year-old FedEx courier who, after two hours of work one day, suffered a stroke...read more.

Illinois: Grandmother's Light Duties Around Family Flower Shop Did Not Constitute Return to Work. Claimant's presence at a flower shop she co-owned with her daughters did not constitute a "return to work" or absolve her employer of its liability to pay TTD benefits...read more.

California: Undocumented Worker's Workplace Discrimination Not Barred by Federal Immigration Law. The Calif. Supreme Court held that the federal Immigration Reform and Control Act does not generally preempt either the California Fair Employment and Housing Act...read more.