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Showing posts with label USA Today. Show all posts
Showing posts with label USA Today. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

The Workers' Compensation Nuclear Option: Detroit officially enters bankruptcy

The "nuclear option" for a workers' compensation claim is a public entity bankruptcy and Detroit got the Court's approval to go forward with the legal maneuver. Over the course of the last 3 decades, bankruptcy has become a common practice to shield private corporations from product liability claims. Asbestos claims have seen dozen of companies use this legal tactic to reduce payment to less that 5% on the dollar. As corporations struggle for life in this changing economy, workers are now experiencing the effects of bankruptcy ruling to reduce their benefits and break the promise made in 1911 for an efficient and cost effective benefit program. Today’s post is shared from deseretnews.com

Detroit is finally officially bankrupt, a federal bankruptcy judge certified on Tuesday.

"It is indeed a momentous day," U.S. bankruptcy judge Steven Rhodes said at the end of a 90-minute summary of his ruling, USA Today reported. "We have here a judicial finding that this once-proud city cannot pay its debts. At the same time, it has an opportunity for a fresh start. I hope that everybody associated with the city will recognize that opportunity."

Rhodes surprised some observers by saying he would support the city in shaving pension expenses, a key bone of contention. The ruling on pensions has significant implications for others cities elsewhere. In California, for example, cities such as San Bernardino could seize the precedent, the Sacramento Bee suggested.

"But one...
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Friday, September 6, 2013

NFL moving closer to using helmet sensors

Today's post was shared by WCBlog and comes from profootballtalk.nbcsports.com

Helmet

With the NFL’s concussion liability regarding retired players on the way to being extinguished via settlement, the league can now focus on taking additional steps to limit liability to its current and future players.

After months of delay, the NFL could soon be putting sensors in helmets.

“Our goal is that by midseason we will have some teams geared up,” Kevin Guskiewicz, a University of North Carolina researcher and a member of the NFL’s Head, Neck and Spine Committee, said at a Wednesday event in Baltimore, via USA Today.  “We’re getting close, and I think that we have some teams identified.”

The NFL previously had been chasing its tail regarding helmet sensors, with the league referring questions from ESPN regarding the league’s failure to use helmet sensors to Guskiewicz, who was publicly advocating the use of helmet sensors.

Guskiewicz spoke openly in June 2012 about giving up on the effort to use sensors if the sensors weren’t used within the coming year.  At that same time, former Steelers receiver and current NBC analyst Hines Ward expressed concern about the approach.

“You’re gonna open up a while Pandora’s Box with it,” Ward told ESPN.  “For a doctor to read a computer and tell me how hard I’ve been hit and to pull me out of a game, that won’t sit well with a lot of players.”

It won’t, because many players want to try to persuade...
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