Posted on November 12th, 2009
A city council in Pennsylvania has approved a $5 millionsettlement with the estate of a police officer who was shot and killed insidepolice headquarters more than four years ago.
Council members in Easton, Pennsylvania, met with a citysolicitor and an attorney for the police officer’s estate behind closed doors.The settlement ends a two year legal fight with the widow of officer JesseSollman.
Scottsdale Insurance Co., which carries the city’s $10million police policy, had refused to pay Carin Sollman for her husbands death.The Insurance Company argued that the workers’ comp claim must be paid by thecity alone.
U.S. District Court Judge Juan R. Sanchez dismissedScottsdale’s arguments and held them responsible for covering the city ofEaston.
If you or someone you know has been injured in theworkplace, please contact the Raleigh Workers’ Compensation Attorneys ofScudder & Hedrick, PLLC by calling 919-851-3311.
Posted on November 11th, 2009
The 2.000 workers at the Nashville, Tennessee General Motorsplant stand to collect more money for their old workers’ compensation claims.
Timothy Coock, who injured his arm working at the SpringHill plant in 2007 sued the car company to remove the cap on his claim. UnderTennessee law, a worker’s injury claim is capped at a certain amount based onformula, that cap can be lifted however, if the company is sold to a newowner. Cook’s attorney, RockyMcElhaney, argued that that cap was lifted when GM filed for bankruptcy in Mayand set up a new company.
Without the cap on injury claims, workers could receive upto four times as much money for their claim. McElhaney said “ A claim that hadbeen worth $10,000 could be worth $30,000 or more.” He estimated the potentialcost to GM is as much as $15 million.
In the lawsuit paperwork, GM argued that the payouts shouldremain capped because while the new GM runs the plant, it transferred liabilityof the workers’ compensation claims to the new company as well.
If you or someone you know has been injured in the workplace, please contact the RaleighWorkers’ Compensation Lawyers of Scudder & Hedrick, PLLC by calling919-851-3311.
Posted on November 3rd, 2009
Three years after American International Group Inc. agreedto pay a $343 million settlement to resolve allegations that it underreportedworkers’ compensation premiums to states, the company is still involved innegotiations with insurance regulators in several states.
New York based AIG entered a settlement agreement with theNew York Attorney Eliot Spitzer and the New York Insurance Department todisperse $343 million among states for allegedly underpaying premium taxes andresidual market assessments between 1985 and 1996.
However most of the money remains in a trust fund whileinsurance regulators negotiate with AIG to decide whether a larger settlementis in order. One insurance regulator was quoted as saying “Not all states weresatisfied with the size of the agreement… In terms of the settlement capping at$343 million, AIG may not be out of the woods.”
The original deadline for states to opt into the 2006agreement was set for that year, but has been extended several times and is nowset for December 31 of this year.
If you or someone you know has been injured in theworkplace, please contact the Raleigh Workers Compensation Attorneys of Scudder& Hedrick, PLLC by calling 919-851-3311.
Posted on November 3rd, 2009
A man in Malta was held responsible for an incident that occurredsix years ago which left a man with a permanent disability.
Victor Portelli was ordered to pay more than $6,000 toGodfrey Schembri. He was found accountable for voluntarily running overShcembri one evening back in 2003. Schembri was working along the Sengleapromenade with Alfred Fiteni, a coworker. Portelli and Fiteni had previouslyhad an argument over a pet dog.
The court found that Portelli drove his Range Rover onto thepavement where the men were working fracturing the leg of Schembri, which wascrushed underneath one of the wheels of the SUV. Portelli exited his vehicleand began striking Fiteni with an iron rod.
If you or someone you know has been injured in theworkplace, please contact the Raleigh Workers Compensation Attorneys of Scudder& Hedrick, PLLC by calling 919-851-3311.
