Legislative Changes To Workers’ Compensation – Wisconsin and National

On Behalf of | May 21, 2015 | Firm News

As we in Wisconsin wrestle with Governor Walker’s ill-advised proposal to split up an efficient and time-honored workers’ compensation system (for alleged purposes of “efficiency”), it is instructive to reflect on the legislative proposals during the first quarter of 2015 across the nation in workers’ compensation.

A National Council on Compensation Insurance, Inc. (NCCI) annual issue symposium in Florida reported that over 600 workers’ compensation bills were filed in the first quarter of 2015. Over 10% of these (65) deal with presumptive coverage for First Responders, giving First Responders the presumption of workers’ compensation coverage for their injuries and occupational exposures. (This is a topic that has come up a lot since the September 11 attacks, bolstered by other tragic news such as the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting).

The next most popular type of bills filed during the first quarter of 2015 included bills revising the definition of an employee (37 bills), occupational diseases (36 bills), reimbursement and fee schedules (33 bills) and indemnity benefits (32 bills).

The definition of employee versus Independent Contractor or subcontractor has been a popular issue regarding lawsuits such as Uber Technologies and Lyft, Inc. and the self-storage and moving marketplace eMove, Inc. Interestingly, on the issue of benefits (and attorney fees that apply to those benefits) “If you increase attorney fees you are likely to increase attorney involvement,” aid Lori Lovgren NCCI Division Executive of State Relations . However, she also noted: but “injured workers are going to need assistance. If the compensation to attorneys is not enough for attorneys to assist, then there is going to be an access problem.” Her reference was to the Florida Supreme Court case Ciastellanos v. Next Door Company, which explores whether attorney fee caps were constitutional.

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