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Legislation introduced Monday in Indiana proposes to increase benefits for injuries and disablements by 2% each year over a three-year period. S.B. 202, sponsored by Sen. Karen Tallian, D-Portage, would increase the benefits paid for each degree of permanent impairment and raise the average weekly wages for computing temporary total, partial and permanent disability maximum from $1,170 per week to…

Lawmakers in Indiana are considering a bill that would require the board of firefighting personnel standards and education to establish best practices to improve safety and health for firefighters. S.B. 258, slated for a Friday introduction in the state Senate, would also allow the workers compensation rating bureau of Indiana to provide a premium or rate discount toward workers compensation…

An Illinois employee of Power Solutions International Inc. (Power Solutions) filed suit against his employer alleging violations of the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) when Power Solutions collected his fingerprints through a timekeeping system without providing consent to do so. Under BIPA, companies, including employers, are required to provide notice and consent to employees prior to the collection of…

An Indiana Court of Appeals panel has reversed the grant of a quadriplegic man’s motion to dismiss a declaratory judgment action after it found he was not entitled to bodily injury liability coverage under his insurance policy. In February 2016, co-workers Gregory Smith and Nolan Clayton were intoxicated after drinking at an Indianapolis Stacked Pickle bar, and the bar called…

A man injured by a fireworks explosion lost an appeal for worker’s compensation benefits, with the Indiana Court of Appeals finding his story explaining how the mishap occurred a bit too farfetched. In 2015, Andrew Hall was working for a Habitat for Humanity of Grant County thrift store when he and a coworker, Alonzo Hill, were sent to retrieve items…

A multi-national medical device manufacturer must pay $225,000 after a federal court jury found an employee was sacked after applying for workers' compensation. Jurors in the court of Senior District Judge Phil Gilbert awarded the money as it found plaintiff Dathan Brooks was discharged in retaliation for the claim, but also decided the action was not wilful or wanton, that…

A trucking company and its insurance provider stand accused of conspiring to prevent its drivers from filing workers' compensation claims to avoid scrutiny and the potential of them being classified as employees. In an action filed in Madison County Circuit Court, a former driver claims he and others were misclassified as independent contractors, which resulted in them losing workers' compensation…