Firm News

I read with bittersweet thoughts that the state's high-risk insurance program was winding down, in anticipation of the implementation of the insurance exchanges through the Affordable Care Act ("ObamaCare"). Health insurance-or lack thereof-is crucial to the lives and...

In Wisconsin, as in other states, the workers' compensation system provides that an employer or its insurance carrier is responsible for medical bills when an employee is injured at work or contracts a work-related disease. Wisconsin law requires that medical...

In most instances, an injured worker cannot sue her employer for a workplace injury. However, if an injury results from an employer's reckless, intentional, or illegal action, an injured worker can bring a separate claim against the employer directly. An employer's...

Workplace stress is unavoidable. From continual deadlines to unreasonable employers to difficult co-workers, most everyone experiences levels of stress and frustration in their daily job. What if the "normal" situation escalates? An incessant, berating boss. A...

Many of my back-injured clients use pain relief medication in the opioid family: Hydrocodone (Vicodin), Oxycodone (Oxycontin or Percocet), Fentanyl (Duragesic or Fentora), Methadone, and Codeine. Many variations of opioids exist, each with a different level of...

Last week we explained Wisconsin's rich history of protecting injured workers through its mandatory workers' compensation system. This week we'll look at what is happening in Texas and Oklahoma, where it is not mandatory for employers. Alternative worker's...

More than a century ago, Wisconsin's initial efforts in worker's compensation led the nation. In 1911 Wisconsin became the first state in the nation to place a broad constitutionally valid worker's compensation system into operation. Recent events, specifically...

Immigration reform is a continual and vexing issue in Washington. While politicians, lobbyists, and service organizations grapple with potential resolutions, there is no disputing the existence of illegal immigrants working for employers in our country. And when there...

The Occupational Health and Safety Administration is charged with protecting workers from unsafe conditions at the workplace. One way they do this is by conducting inspections, but the agency does not have the resources to inspect all companies. Some have expressed...

A new study calls into question the notion that workplace wellness programs save an employer money. In a study tracking hospital employees for two years, although hospitalization for employees and family members dropped by over 40% for six major health conditions,...