Archive for October 2016

Since its establishment five months ago, the new in-house fraud unit at the Texas Division of Workers’ Compensation has opened more than 40 investigations and hired additional fraud investigators to extend its reach. “It’s a huge benefit to have a … Source: Claims Journal

Fire deaths in Minnesota have decreased this year, down dramatically from 2015. State Fire Marshal Bruce West told Minnesota Public Radio News that there have been 24 deaths from fires so far this year, compared with 49 at this time … Source: Claims Journal

Louisiana law does not require a priest to notify authorities after hearing evidence of child abuse from a child making a religious confession, the state Supreme Court said Friday. The ruling came in an ongoing 2009 lawsuit against Catholic authorities … Source: Claims Journal

Southern Spain will become desert and deciduous forests will vanish from much of the Mediterranean basin unless global warming is reined in sharply, according to a study released Thursday. Researchers used historical data and computer models to forecast the likely … Source: Claims Journal

As communities across the Southeast U.S. and the Caribbean count the cost of flood damage during Hurricane Matthew, a study, Coastal Wetlands and Flood Damage Reduction, has quantified how much protection natural coastal habitats provide during hurricanes. Using the latest … Source: Claims Journal

Rosa Ruiz returned from a gambling jaunt to San Diego, Calif., before dawn Saturday and was back on another bus that evening, headed for a desert casino. Like others who routinely board buses bound for distant casinos, Ruiz wasn’t so … Source: Claims Journal

Wichita, Kansas, has installed new, larger warning signs at an Arkansas River dam where a 24-year-old man drowned earlier this year. Brian Bergkamp drowned in July at Wichita’s 21st Street dam as he tried to help another kayaker. The group … Source: Claims Journal

New Jersey Transit has until Oct. 28 to disclose to lawmakers the agency’s progress on installing accident-prevention technology, release figures on substance-abuse-related accidents and detail penalties for violating federal rules. The directive came from a joint state legislative panel armed … Source: Claims Journal

After finding that costs to insurers in the workers’ compensation system are declining, California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones asked that workers’ comp insurers pass those cost savings on to employers in the form of lower rates. Commissioner Jones issued a … Source: Claims Journal

The ravages of Hurricane Matthew are prompting businesses to rethink their natural hazards preparedness, with more than one out of four surveyed employees in the stricken region saying they believe their companies will increase investment in the area. Matthew was … Source: Claims Journal