Workers Compensation

Today’s burning question: Our union has been fighting for a cancer presumption provision in our collective bargaining agreement for years to no avail. We have even started working at the state level to get legislation enacted. Isn’t there a way we can force the city to accept the obvious: that firefighting increases the risk of contracting cancer?

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The City of Seattle has agreed to settle a suit filed by a firefighter who claims his captain permanently damaged his hearing by blowing the siren when he was close by it. Firefighter Rodney Bingham filed suit against the city ...

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The Colorado Court of Appeals handed down an important cancer presumption decision last week involving a Denver firefighter who was diagnosed with leukemia. Firefighter Russell Andrews was diagnosed with chronicmyelogenous leukemia (CML) in 2010. The city sought to deny him ...

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An FDNY fire lieutenant who claims he hurt his back sliding down a wet pole last March, has filed suit against the city. Christopher Cooke, 50, suffered a fractured vertebrae sliding the pole at Engine Co. 254.  Lt. Cooke claims ...

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Florida’s 1st District Court of Appeal has overturned a ruling by a three judge panel that concluded that Florida’s 104 week limit on workers comp was unconstitutional under state law. The case involves a St. Petersburg firefighter, Bradley Westphal, who ...

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A division chief with the Tri-State Fire Protection District has filed suit alleging his discharge last October was retaliation for him having filed a heart related workers comp claim and using medical leave. Division Chief David Basek filed suit last ...

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Eight Phoenix firefighters have filed suit against the city’s workers compensation claims adjusting firm alleging fraud, conspiracy and racketeering (RICO) violations. The 31 page complaint was filed in US District Court by Laurie Miller, Brian Dimas, Kim Mills, Anthony Soza, ...

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The Michigan Supreme Court handed down a horrendously boring fire service case yesterday … so boring that I seriously debated (a) whether to blog about it and (b) how to blog about it without putting non-attorney readers to sleep… However, ...

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A Texas firefighter who was terminated while recuperating from a back injury has filed suit seeking $1 million in damages. University Park Fire Department Paramedic Brad Tucker, 31, was injured on October 20, 2011 while lifting a patient. He had ...

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  A Kingston, New York firefighter injured in the line of duty last December, has filed a notice of claim stating that his injuries were the result of the department’s failure to provide him with a bail-out system. Firefighters Thomas ...

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The widow of a retired firefighter has filed a second lawsuit over his death claiming it was related to exposure to asbestos. The kicker… she is claiming that the exposure occurred while he was working for a plumbing company, not ...

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A St. Petersburg, Florida firefighter has successfully challenged a pro-employer worker’s compensation reform that limited the duration of temporary disability benefits to 104 weeks. Bradley Westphal was injured in the line of duty on December 11, 2009. He ran out ...

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Today’s Burning Question: We have an employee who was injured in 1995 and needed surgery on his hip at that time. He just recently went in for a complete hip replacement. The city is not contesting that the second surgery ...

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A female firefighter and her husband have filed a $7 million suit against the City of Utica, two city attorneys, and a firefighter over what they claim was an attempted rape in a fire station. The sordid details were set ...

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