Furloughs and Lay-Offs Strike Claims Professionals as Claims Volumes Decrease By Lonce Lamonte - May 21, 2020 The coronavirus pandemic has been brutal in most sectors of the economy.  Businesses are presently operating so slowly they have been pushed into reducing staff levels.   Employees that do remain employed are afraid of being laid-off.  Many fear filing workers’ compensation claims for legitimate job-related injuries.   Due to these conditions, claims volumes have fallen in the past three months in a dramatic fashion. Read More

Norwegian Cruise Line flags doubts about ability to stay afloat: Business Insurance   May 5, 2020 (Reuters) — Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd., the world's third-largest cruise operator, raised doubts about its ability to keep running as a business on Tuesday, the first in the sector to signal it may succumb to the coronavirus crisis. The company’s shares slumped about 20% as it also launched a $1.6 billion offering of shares and bonds in a scramble to raise money, and announced a $400 million investment in a subsidiary from a private equity firm. Norwegian Cruise and rivals Carnival Corp. and Royal Caribbean Cruises have been among the most high-profile victims of the pandemic...

Calif. sues Uber, Lyft over misclassifying drivers: Business Insurance  May 5, 2020 Insurers Loss Estimates Linked to Coronavirus Range Widely: Analysis: Insurance Journal   May 5, 2020 Back to Work: How Businesses Are Trying to Make Workers Feel Safe: Insurance Journal   May 5, 2020

California Division of Workers’ Compensation Emergency Rulemaking Regulations for Medical-Legal Reporting in Response to COVID-19 are in Effect By Lonce Lamonte and Newsline from the CA DIR's Division of Workers' Compensation - May 19, 2020 The Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC) announces its emergency regulations for medical-lega... Read More

California Division of Workers’ Compensation Posts Additional Adjustments to Official Medical Fee Schedule Including Expansion of Telehealth to Address COVID-19 Emergency (Physician and Non-Physician Practitioner Services) By Lonce Lamonte and the DWC Newsline - May 12, 2020 The Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC) has posted an order dated May 7, 2020, adjusting the Physician and Non-Physician Practitioner Ser... Read More

California Division of Workers’ Compensation Update on Proposed Emergency QME Regulations: Comments Accepted through Tuesday, May 12 By Lonce Lamonte and the DWC Newsline - May 11, 2020 The Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC) advises that in response to COVID-19 proposed emergency ... Read More

Pre- and Post-Offer Employment Testing Saves Organizations Money By Michael B. Stack - February 12, 2020 Organizations can ensure they have the right worker for the right job by taking some simple and relati... Read More

Cheryl Scott, City Of Glendale Workers’ Compensation Administrator, To Retire At End Of March 2020. She plans to work part-time and be in the audience at the Hollywood Bowl. By Lonce Lamonte - February 26, 2020 Cheryl Scott, the Workers’ Compensation Administrator at the City of Glendale, is retiring coming up... Read More