Pabst Brews a Legal Storm

On April 15, 2026, the Wisconsin Supreme Court handed down a landmark ruling that will reverberate through asbestos litigation, workers’ compensation law, and premises liability for years to come. In Estate of Carol Lorbiecki v. Pabst Brewing Co., 2026 WI 12, the court held that a brewery owner could be found liable under Wisconsin’s Safe Place Statute for a steamfitter’s fatal mesothelioma, even though the worker was employed by an independent contractor, not by Pabst. The decision affirms a $6.9 million judgment, including punitive damages, and clarifies important principles governing the rights of workers exposed to occupational hazards on third-party premises.

EPA Sued Over Asbestos

On April 21, 2026, the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and its Administrator Lee Zeldin in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The complaint, filed as Case No. 1:26-cv-01350, seeks to compel the EPA to fulfill a mandatory, non-discretionary duty under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), a duty that has gone unfulfilled for over a year, leaving millions of workers and their families exposed to the continuing hazard of legacy asbestos.

Workplace Disease & Household Liability

A landmark California Supreme Court ruling in 2023 reversed earlier lower-court decisions and shielded employers from "take-home" COVID-19 liability — but the legal landscape for occupational disease exposure to household members remains complex and evolving. Here is what workers' compensation practitioners, employers, and injured workers need to know.

Dying at Work — Who's Counting?

Workplace fatality data, political interference, and the workers left behind.

Healthcare Costs Crush Workers' Compensation

The cost of medical treatment is not just rising — it is accelerating. And nowhere is this felt more sharply than in the workers' compensation system, where medical payments now constitute a dominant and growing share of every claim. What was a slow-burning crisis a decade ago has become an urgent structural challenge for employers, insurers, policymakers, and injured workers alike.

Chemical Glove Selection is Critical

How Proper Hand Protection Impacts Workers' Compensation Benefits

AIG Remains in Workers' Compensation

The 2012 Prediction That Didn't Come True

Older Drivers: Fatal Crash Risks

Workers age 55 and older who drive as part of their jobs face a troubling reality: they are twice as likely to die in work-related crashes compared to their younger colleagues. This sobering statistic has profound implications for workers' compensation systems nationwide as America's workforce continues to age.

Sleep, Pain, and Hospital Workers

The Hidden Epidemic Driving Workers' Compensation Claims

Winter Storm Workers' Compensation Guide

Winter storms pose significant dangers for workers across all industries. As temperatures drop and snow accumulates, the workplace becomes a minefield of potential hazards that can result in serious injuries and costly workers' compensation claims.

NJ's Fee Schedule Gap

New Jersey's Medical Billing Problem: When "Reasonable and Customary" Costs You a Fortune

Health Reimbursement Rules Impact Claims

How IRS Coverage Mandates Affect Workers' Compensation Costs in 2026.

Medicare's Post-Acute Care Crisis

Post-acute care has emerged as a critical pressure point in workers' compensation claims, driven by Medicare policy changes and skyrocketing costs that directly impact claim settlements and future medical allocations.

PTSD Protection for First Responders

NJ Governor Murphy Signs Landmark Legislation Integrating Mental Health Protections with Workers' Compensation System

Essential Workers Face Long COVID

Long COVID: Understanding Vulnerabilities for Workers and Legal Protections

Trending: Workplace Psychological Trauma Litigation

Landmark Railroad PTSD Case Signals Broader Shift in Mental Health Coverage

Deadly Rollback: Asbestos Unprotected

FDA withdraws talc testing rule amid growing health concerns.

Flu Season's Hidden Workers' Compensation Cost

As healthcare facilities across the nation report surging respiratory illness cases, the spotlight has turned once again to protecting those on the front lines of medicine. Recent surveillance data reveal a troubling trend: flu activity is increasing rapidly across the United States, with cases and hospitalizations rising by 78% and 53% respectively, in some states, while emergency department visits for influenza have more than doubled in certain regions.

New Jersey's Workplace Safety Wins

A data-driven examination of seven years of workers' compensation trends reveals encouraging progress—and work still needs to be done.

Healthcare Crisis Threatens Workers' Compensation

The American healthcare system is approaching a breaking point that will have profound implications for employers and workers' compensation insurers. As healthcare costs spiral out of control and insurance becomes increasingly unaffordable, a growing number of workers are entering the workplace with untreated medical conditions that will significantly amplify the severity and cost of work-related injuries.