WorkCompCentral

SAN DIEGO, Calif. (September 11, 2026) On the 25th anniversary of September 11, Health & Safety Leadership Alliance and Institutes of Health (IOH) today issued five recommendations designed to reduce delays between a first responder's request for help and the start of coordinated treatment. First responders are trained to take control of emergencies and keep functioning under pressure so they can protect others. Asking for help can run against both that training and the culture of public safety.

By CAAA Communications Team The California Department of Industrial Relations is facing serious questions over its use of money dedicated to the workers’ compensation system to pay for internal employee investigations, consultants and other expenses with little connection to workers’ compensation. A Sacramento Bee investigation of DIR contracts from 2020 through 2026 found more than $30 million paid from the Workers’ Compensation Administration Revolving Fund (WCARF) for such purposes.

Kids' Chance of California announced that it has awarded $304,299 in scholarships to 45 students for the 2026-27 academic year. The scholarships were awarded to 13 new recipients and 32 reapplicants, the organization said. Kids’ Chance of California is a nonprofit organization that provides scholarships to children of those who were seriously injured or killed as a result of a work-related accident. It has awarded 418 scholarships worth $2.6 million since it was founded in 2012.

The Actuarial Committee for the Workers' Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California will review insurer experience valued as of June 30, as well as a pair of studies into severity trends and large deductible policies when it meets Wednesday. The committee will discuss the WCIRB's ongoing review of components driving indemnity severity based on an analysis of data collected from subsequent reports of injury.

The owner of a New York asbestos removal company was charged with premium fraud for allegedly misrepresenting his company's payroll, the number of employees and the type of work they were doing. The Suffolk County District Attorney's Office said Joseph Arthurs, 56, and his company, VGN Enterprise Corp., were arraigned Wednesday on charges of "penalties for fraudulent practices" and "effect of failure to secure compensation," both Class E felonies.

The Workers' Compensation Court of Montana ordered an injured worker to attend a second independent medical exam, finding that the carrier's request was relevant to the claim and appropriate to its handling. Case: Madison Jordon v. XL Specialty Insurance Co., 2026 MTWCC 7, 09/08/2026, published. Facts and procedural history: Madison Jordan suffered an accepted cervical strain in a workplace fall in August 2023. The claim was closed within days of the accident.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, in an unpublished decision, affirmed a district court's decision to stay a tort claim alleging a carrier refused to pay benefits pending the outcome of proceedings before California's Workers' Compensation Appeals Board. Grigsby & Associates Inc. sued State Farm Fire and Casualty Co. in 2025 for breach of contract and breach of good and fair dealing in Alameda County Superior Court.

A New York appellate court upheld a determination that a bricklayer had not knowingly provided false information about his medical history in his workers’ compensation claim. Case: Loja-Saula v. Cosan Construction Corp. (WCAB), No. CV-25-0822, 09/03/2026, published. Facts and procedural history: Luis Loja-Saula worked for Cosan Construction Corp. as a bricklayer. He filed a workers’ compensation claim for injuries he sustained in April 2022 when a piece of cinder block fell on him.

A trial court in Kentucky held that the Department of Workers' Claims violated the state's Open Records Act by refusing to provide a copy of its medical fee schedule and insisting that it be purchased from a contractor. Franklin Circuit Court Judge Phillip J.

The West Virginia Supreme Court overturned the denial of a retired dump truck driver’s claim for occupational pneumoconiosis benefits. Case: Kessler v. West Virginia Paving Inc., No. 26-178, 09/02/2026, published. Facts: Joseph Kessler worked as a dump truck driver for West Virginia Paving Inc., making deliveries for its quarry from 2013 to 2022. In July 2024, Kessler underwent chest X-rays. Dr. Kathleen A.