InsideWorkersCompNY is the creation of Michael T. Berns, former Board Member/Commissioner of the New York State Workers Compensation Board, based on the insight developed during 12 years of service including participation in more than 40,000 decisions and 10,000 hearings.

WORKERS COMPENSATION SECTION 32 SETTLEMENTS
A Treasure or a Trap?

Details, including Custom Book and Quantity Pricing Program and Table of Contents, are here.

Updated weekly, this free website gives insight into the NYS WCB to help the workers comp community understand why the WCB does what it does and how to deal with its inconsistencies and bureaucratic obfuscations as well as giving the community and Board staff an anonymous bulletin board.

COURT DECISIONS: weekly updates of workers comp related decisions from the New York’s various courts and a list of the “winningestâ€� attorneys for the year.
NEWSWIRE: weekly listings of key developments from the media as well as various state agencies.
COMMENTARY: my comments on key topics, major court decisions,board policies, and answers to questions from my readers.
BIOS: The commissioners’ official and unofficial biographies.

To receive weekly e-mail alerts, write comments, suggestions, or criticisms contact:TheInsider@InsideWorkersCompNY.com.

Michael T. Berns, The Insider, Commissioner 1996-2008, NYS Workers Compensation Board

Board - 5, Claimants - 0

DECISIONS The five affirmances of Board decisions this week by the Third Department covered a wide range of issues, with claimants on the losing side in all five: §114-a fraud, causally related death, denial of FBR, causal relationship, and no awards as loss of income was economically related..

The Third Dept. has added five cases to its May hearing calendar giving a total of 16 cases pending a decision. It is interesting to note that the oldest of these cases dates back to April 15, 2013, one month ago whereas some appeals at the Workers Comp Board date back to April 2012. But who’s counting? Certainly not the Board..