Check out our blog about Wal-Mart Ordered to Pay $34.7 Million to Former Driver for Defamation

Wal-Mart Ordered to Pay $34.7 Million to Former Driver for Defamation

• News

$34.7 Million Verdict Sends Strong Message to Employers A California jury has ruled against Wal-Mart in a high-profile defamation case, ordering the retail giant to pay $34.7 million to Jesus Fonseca, a former truck driver, for damaging his reputation with false accusations of workers’ compensation fraud. The verdict, delivered over two days on November 19 […]

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Check out our blog about Steve Hoddinott, et al. vs. Bravo Security Services, Inc., National Liability Fire Insurance Co., administered by biBERK Business Insurance, et al.

Steve Hoddinott, et al. vs. Bravo Security Services, Inc., National Liability Fire Insurance Co., administered by biBERK Business Insurance, et al.

• News

The case Steve Hoddinott, et al. vs. Bravo Security Services, Inc., National Liability Fire Insurance Co., administered by biBERK Business Insurance, et al., was adjudicated by the California Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board (WCAB). This matter was part of a broader series of workers’ compensation cases, consolidated due to overlapping legal questions and procedural disputes. Key

Steve Hoddinott, et al. vs. Bravo Security Services, Inc., National Liability Fire Insurance Co., administered by biBERK Business Insurance, et al. Read Post »

Cal/OSHA Urges Ventura County Employers to Protect Workers from Wildfire Smoke Exposure

• News

Cal/OSHA’s Recommendations for Employers During Wildfire Events Cal/OSHA urges Ventura County Employers to take necessary precautions to protect their workforce from the unhealthy air caused by wildfire smoke, particularly in areas currently impacted by the Mountain Fire in Ventura County. The affected zones currently include Oxnard, Camarillo, and Santa Paula, though smoke may spread to

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California Labor Commissioner’s Office Recovers Nearly $1 Million in Unpaid Wages for Bakery Workers

• News

Sacramento, CA – In a major win for labor rights, the California Labor Commissioner’s Office (LCO) secured $942,604 in settlements to pay back wages to 187 former employees of Baked in the Sun, a Vista-based bakery that abruptly closed, leaving workers unpaid. Each worker will now receive over $3 for every $1 originally owed, a

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Cal/OSHA Introduces New Translation App to Enhance Communication with Workers Across California

• News, Tech

Pilot Program by Cal/OSHA to Enhance Workplace Safety and Inclusivity Cal/OSHA Launches New Translation App to Break Down Language Barriers Sacramento, CA—To improve worker safety and bridge communication barriers, the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) has introduced an advanced translation app in a pilot program. Developed by TranslateLive, this tool enables Cal/OSHA

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Rising Liabilities in California's SIBTF

Rising Liabilities in California’s SIBTF

• SIBTF

California’s Subsequent Injuries Benefits Trust Fund (SIBTF), a state-run program offering supplemental benefits to injured workers with preexisting conditions, is under increasing financial strain as claims continue to surge. The SIBTF’s 2024 report shows annual payouts surged from $13.6 million in 2010 to $232 million in 2022. Projected liabilities for claims over the past 12

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California workers' compensation claims

Fewer Claims, Higher Losses for CA Workers’ Comp Self-Insureds

• News

Oakland, CA – Private self-insured claim volume in the California workers’ compensation claims system fell 9.5% in 2023, producing the biggest year-to-year decline in private self-insured claim frequency in more than 15 years, but double-digit increases in the average amounts paid and incurred on these claims drove total paid and incurred losses for private self-insured

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Check out our blog about Are Migraine Drugs Becoming a New WC Cost Driver?

Are Migraine Drugs Becoming a New WC Cost Driver?

• News

Oakland, CA – Migraine Drugs represented less than 1% of all prescriptions dispensed to California injured workers in 2023 but they consumed 4.7% of workers’ compensation drug payments, a nearly 8-fold increase since 2018, which a California Workers’ Compensation Institute (CWCI) study links to the emergence of several high-cost brand drugs that are not listed

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California workers' compensation wage increase

SAWW Increase Bumps California WC Benefits for 2025

• Regulatory

Oakland, CA – California’s State Average Weekly Wage (SAWW) rose nearly 3.8 percent in the year ending March 31, 2024, which will increase California workers’ compensation temporary total disability (TTD) and permanent total disability (PTD) rates for 2025 work injury claims and other workers’ compensation benefits that are tied to SAWW increases. The latest wage

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Check out our blog about Opioid Prescribing for Injured Workers in California: 2017-2023

Opioid Prescribing for Injured Workers in California: 2017-2023

• Medical

Oakland, CA – The decline in opioid use in California workers’ compensation has outpaced the decline among the state’s overall population according to a new California Workers’ Compensation Institute (CWCI) analysis of 2017-2023 opioid prescription data from the California Department of Justice’s Controlled Substance Utilization Review and Evaluation System (CURES) database. The analysis builds on

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