Archive for March 2018

New data on the Independent Medical Review (IMR) process used to resolve California workers’ comp medical disputes show that IMR volume dipped for the first time ever in 2017, but the outcomes were unchanged as IMR physicians again upheld 91.2 … Source: Claims Journal

Three deadly air crashes that have killed 170 passengers in the past 4 1/2 weeks may indicate that 2017, the safest-ever year for aviation, represented a statistical blip. A total of five fare-paying customers lost their lives in just two … Source: Claims Journal

Lulled asleep by the humming of their Texas-bound charter bus following a trip to Disney World, members of a high school band were jarred awake before dawn Tuesday when the rig ran off a highway and plunged into a deep … Source: Claims Journal

The California Court of Appeal began and ended its insurance coverage opinion of March 7, 2018 with the Bard’s wisdom. The court clearly got it right in denying property insurance coverage for the victim of counterfeit wine sales, and it … Source: Claims Journal

Some big retailers have curbed sales of assault weapons after last month’s school shooting in Florida. But others are sticking to their guns. Several outdoor chains, including Bass Pro Shops, Cabela’s, Gander Outdoors and Academy Sports, continue to sell assault-style … Source: Claims Journal

The death toll from Hurricane Irma‘s catastrophic rampage across the Caribbean and the southeastern U.S. has risen to 44 fatalities directly caused by its strong winds and heavy rains, plus 85 fatalities indirectly linked to the storm, according to a … Source: Claims Journal

Travelers Delegation Building Baseball Field in Puerto Rico Travelers chief executive Alan Schnitzer is leading a delegation of 35 volunteers who are in Puerto Rico to build a baseball field. The insurance company says the group is fixing up a … Source: Claims Journal

A powerful nor’easter delivered a glancing blow to New York City but walloped Massachusetts with more than a foot of snow. The storm dumped between 8 and 12 inches (20 to 31 centimeters) in Boston, but the wind made it … Source: Claims Journal

Opioids remain the most common type of prescription drug used to treat California injured workers with lost-time injuries, but sustained efforts to curb their use are paying off as new data show that in the past decade they fell from … Source: Claims Journal

The open-door helicopter tour in which five people died in a crash landing in the East River off Manhattan on Sunday was operating under safety restrictions reserved for photography flights that are looser than those for commercial air-tour rides. Federal … Source: Claims Journal