This Month:
Skyrocketing Legal Verdicts Gaining Support
Juror sentiment has shifted decisively toward plaintiffs in liability lawsuits, leading to more high compensation awards, according to a new report from Swiss Re. The effect is not limited to Fortune 500 companies. According to the report, in cases involving severe injury, jurors are nearly as likely to recommend high compensation against small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as they are against large corporations.
The report attributes the increase in high compensation awards to a shift in how Americans perceive litigation. According to the study, 56% of respondents believe there are too many lawsuits in the U.S. — a decline from 90% in 2016. Support for larger awards has followed suit; 76% of respondents indicated that damages awarded in lawsuits are either too low or just right, up from 58% in 2016.
Attitudes toward corporate defendants are also trending to the extreme. When asked whether large corporations (LCRs) prioritize profit over safety, 85% of respondents agreed. In contrast, only half said the same about SMEs. Support for punitive damages remains strong, with 79% agreeing they are the best way to deter misconduct by large corporations. Notably, 67% support punitive damages against SMEs as well.
The report found political affiliation a key differentiator. Self-identified Democratic respondents selected award amounts that were 25% to 65% higher than those proposed by Republicans, according to the report. Independents tended to fall between the two groups in terms of award size.
Younger respondents — especially those under 40 — expressed significantly more plaintiff-friendly views than older generations. For example, 83% of under-40s felt that current damages are too low or just right, compared to just 41% of those over 60.
The report is available here.
ICT Releases Texas Workers' Comp Market Report
The Texas workers’ compensation market remains highly competitive, with 98 groups representing 335 companies reporting voluntary direct premiums written in 2024 — a 10% increase in companies compared to 2023.
That’s according to the 2025 Texas Workers’ Compensation Market Report from the Insurance Council of Texas (ICT).
The report found overall direct written premiums declined slightly by 1.45%, but market participation and diversification remain strong. Insurers saw a modest increase in direct losses paid and overall, the market experienced a modest $12 million loss in 2024.
Employer participation in the workers’ compensation market reached its highest level since 2016, with 87% of employees covered. The report found 76% of Texas organizations were subscribers to the state’s workers’ compensation system.
According to the report, direct written premiums fell 4% in 2024 to $2.6 billion, making Texas the fifth largest workers’ compensation system in the U.S. behind California, New York, Florida and New Jersey.
Direct losses in 2024 rose 8.7% to $1.12 billion from $1.03 billion in 2023.
The report is available here.
Survey Highlights Workplace Safety Concerns and Attitudes of Workers
Safety concerns cause nearly one in three Americans to lose focus at work multiple times a week, and one in 10 are so burned out they want to quit every day, according to a new report from EMCI Wireless.
The report, based on a survey of 1,000 American workers, finds safety issues have evolved beyond wearing protective gear and preventing slips and falls. Today’s workers are also worried about violent co-workers, mental health challenges, and job security. According to the survey:
- Some 46% of Americans fear a co-worker could turn violent on the job.
- More than four in 10 Americans (43%) have taken time off due to burnout or mental health stress, and one in four have even quit a job over these safety concerns.
- Some 53% of Americans have seen a hostile verbal conflict at work, and more than one in four were involved themselves.
- Nearly one in four Americans accept dangerous responsibilities at work due to fear of being fired, prioritizing income over their own safety.
- Nearly four in 10 (38%) would feel less safe with guns permitted at work, although 48% of Gen Zers say armed co-workers would make them feel safer.
- More than one in three Americans say recent ICE activity has made their workplace feel less safe.
- Gen Z leads the pack in reporting emotional harm (41%), while baby boomers are the least likely to say the same at work (17%).
- Gen Z is the most likely to consider quitting because of burnout at least a few times a month (63% vs. 47% for Americans overall), if not weekly or even daily.
- Almost one in four U.S. workers (24%) have quit a job due to safety concerns at work. That figure jumps up to 38% for Gen Z, with 11% having quit in the past 12 months.
- While the majority of workers (84%) know that their company has an emergency or evacuation plan, only 55% say they understand it clearly.
- Just 15% of Americans say they’re not confident their co-workers or leadership would keep them safe during an emergency.
More information about survey findings is available here.
Worker Injuries Decline for Remote Jobs
The COVID-19 pandemic created a surge in the number of jobs performed remotely, changing injury patterns for office work, according to research from the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI).
The result is up to a 40% reduction in workers’ compensation claim frequency in remote-friendly jobs in the years following the pandemic. However, the report finds that despite the drop, the overall impact on the workers’ compensation system is limited, with claims involving remote-friendly jobs representing just 11% of total workers’ compensation premiums.
Other key findings in the report include:
- Remote work has created a major and durable shift in the U.S. work environment since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, primarily in office and clerical work. Currently, about 20-30% of U.S. workers work remotely, compared to 4-7% who worked remotely before the pandemic.
- About half of all workers in either an office-based business or a clerical class code have remote-friendly jobs. The share rises to about three-fourths for workers who fall into both categories.
- These two categories of workers account for more than half of all workers’ compensation payroll but only 11% of workers’ compensation premiums.
According to the report, slip and fall incidents dropped 50% for remote-friendly jobs, while motor vehicle accidents fell 44%.
The report is available here.
The Cost of Getting It Wrong
By Patti Kelly – RxBridge
Early intervention isn’t just best practice, it’s the difference between a smooth recovery and a costly, avoidable escalation.
When injured workers lack early, effective support, they often feel lost in the process. This is when many seek legal representation not out of bad faith, but out of necessity. Through early intervention, appropriate care, and clear communication, we can mitigate this risk while promoting better recovery outcomes for everyone involved.
The PBM as Strategic Partner
As a Pharmacy Benefit Manager, RxBridge’s mission extends far beyond simple prescription processing. We are committed to ensuring injured workers receive timely access to the medications they need, supported by clinical expertise and delivered at competitive rates. Yet access alone is not enough. The way we deliver that care, through compassion, communication and collaboration, matters just as much as the care itself.
Two examples of how RxBridge puts injured workers at the center of care are our Text2Fill™ and PillTalk™ programs. Text2Fill™ streamlines first fill prescription access through text messaging, removing barriers at the moment injured workers need their medication most. PillTalk™, our pharmacist-led outreach program, strengthens communication, medication adherence, and safety through personalized engagement. These programs reflect our commitment to patient-centered care while helping employers manage medical costs responsibly. Because pharmaceutical care is often one of the first medical services provided to injured workers, ensuring that experience is positive is an important opportunity to set the right tone and prevent workers from feeling lost in the system.
An Extension of Your Organization
Your PBM should function as an extension of your organization, representing your company with the same care, respect and integrity you demonstrate to your employees. At RxBridge, we take this responsibility seriously. Every injured worker interaction is a reflection of your organization, which is why we prioritize compassion, communication and efficiency throughout the entire process.
When executed effectively, everyone benefits, workers recover faster, employers reduce costs, and trust is strengthened across all stakeholders. Navigating medical management successfully requires more than clinical protocols and cost controls; it requires recognizing the human being at the heart of every claim.
SHRM Report: Older Workers May Be Untapped Resource
New research from the Society of Human Resources Managers (SHRM) finds workers 65 and older an overlooked, untapped pool. According to the survey, 93% of HR professionals say their organizations have no formal or informal recruitment programs targeting older workers.
Other key findings include:
- Among HR professionals who work with older employees, 74% report positive experiences, with 88% saying older workers perform better than or much better than other employees.
- 81% of older workers demonstrate a strong willingness to learn.
- 79% show positive approaches to challenges.
- 60% display enthusiasm for growth — including embracing new technologies like artificial intelligence.
The study, Age of Opportunity: Redefining Talent With the 65+ Workforce, reveals critical knowledge retention risks organizations currently face. While 83% of HR professionals document company policies, only around one-third document cultural norms (32%) and client relations (43%) — areas they say would be extremely difficult to rebuild if experienced workers suddenly retire.
According to SHRM, the population aged 65 and older represents the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. workforce, with more than 11.8 million individuals in this age group currently employed — more than double the number from 30 years ago.
Nearly 5,000 (4,839) U.S. workers, older adults, and HR professionals were surveyed for the study, which is available here.
Showing Up Sick Not Popular Among American Workers
Nearly a third of Americans say they’d rather you didn’t show up to work if you’re feeling sick.
Of Americans surveyed, 31% recently said there’s no longer an admirable quality to people showing up to work ill, coughing or “powering through.” Just a quarter of Americans (25%) strongly believe it would impress bosses or superiors.
The survey also found that while 21% of people have attended work or a social gathering when ill in the past 12 months, the vast majority (86%) feel concerned about their own well-being when others come to work visibly sick.
Top reasons given for attending work while ill include “I had already committed” (28%) and “I couldn’t afford to miss work” (27%). Only 22% of those currently employed said they felt pressure from their employer to show up even when they weren’t feeling well.
Among those surveyed, 42% said their relationship with someone would be negatively affected if that person knowingly showed up sick. In fact, 64% of those who said their relationship with someone would be harmed if they showed up sick also classified the person as “selfish.”
The shift in attitudes toward illness is most notable in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The survey also shows that 57% of respondents’ expectations of others changed since the pandemic began, while 70% of people said they feel more cautious about hygiene and illness now compared to before the pandemic, with handwashing, social distancing, and avoiding the sick becoming essential practices in both social and professional settings.
The survey was conducted by Talker Research and commissioned by Zipfizz. The survey is available for download here.
Study Explores Disengagement in the Workplace
A new report from WongDoody finds 62% of employees and 49% of employers admit to “hidden behaviors” that secretly and negatively impact each other.
The report, “Cold Work: Hidden Tensions of the Modern Workplace” is based on a survey of more than 600 U.S. employees, employers and experts. It introduces the new term “Cold Work” to describe an era where both sides of employment are disengaged, defaulting to mutual survival rather than aspiration.
The report finds 78% of workers find the state of engagement in the workplace to be getting worse or stagnating. Other key findings include:
- Some 62% of workers have reported stress behaviors like crying, loss of sleep, mental health issues, and destructive behavior due to workplace stress.
- More than eight in 10 employers (82%) face accountability challenges due to uncertainty over when employees are working, resistance to expectations, perceived misuse of flexibility, and delays from unresponsive team members.
- Almost all employees (96%) think recognition is important, yet 59% feel invisible, undervalued and replaceable.
Despite this tension, the report finds employers and employees share many common goals.
“We found that both sides are exhausted by the current state of work,” said Matthew Dietly, employee experience lead at WongDoody. “This report offers a path forward, cutting through the noise to focus on what both employers and employees genuinely want: a workplace where they can thrive together.”
The report is available for download here.
State News
Dallas News
OSHA Still Inspecting Deaths of Workers Who Suffocated in Tarrant County Water Tank
When firefighters were called to a work site in Tarrant County this summer, they were informed they were there for a rescue. Two workers inside a water tank were stuck about 20 feet below the surface. The firefighters’ hours-long attempt to rescue the men instead ended as a recovery, records reveal. Click here for full article.
Insurance Business
Texas Mutual Names New Chief Operating Officer
Texas Mutual Insurance Company has appointed Prateek Sangal (pictured) as its new chief operating officer, effective Oct. 20. In his new role, Sangal will oversee all insurance operations, including policyholder services, underwriting and premium audit. Click here for full article.
Texas Department of Insurance
Trinity Couriers Inc. Pays $800,000 in Workers’ Compensation Fraud Case
On October 20, 2025, Trinity Couriers Inc. pled guilty to fraudulently obtaining workers’ compensation insurance coverage. The company agreed to pay $800,000 in restitution to their insurance carrier, Texas Mutual Insurance Company. Click here for full article.
State News
WorkersCompensation.com
Calif. Court Clarifies Steps for Disputing Utilization Review Decisions
A California court made clear that irrespective of the reasons why a treating physician selects a particular duration of treatment in a request for authorization, the request is subject to utilization reviews and to independent medical review after that, and nothing in the statute prohibits an employer from seeking utilization review of subsequent requests for more of the same medical treatment. Click here for full article.
CBIA
Report Highlights Occupational Disease Risks
Occupational disease is far from an abstract concept in Connecticut workplaces, according to a newly released report that highlights job-related health risks. Click here for full article.
CBIA
Workers’ Compensation Rates Will Fall in 2026
Connecticut employers will see lower workers’ compensation costs in 2026 after state regulators approved a package of recommended premium rate cuts Oct. 27. Click here for full article.
Insurance Journal
Delaware Workers’ Compensation Rates Dropping Again
The voluntary private market average loss costs are expected to drop by 11.6%, while the residual market for high-risk businesses that can’t purchase coverage in the voluntary market will see an average rate reduction of 9.08%. Click here for full article.
Risk & Insurance
Delaware Supreme Court Limits Workers’ Comp Carriers’ Rights to UIM Awards
A Delaware Supreme Court ruling refines the subrogation rights of workers’ compensation carriers against an injured employee’s underinsured motorist (UIM) recovery. Click here for full article.
Insurance Journal
Florida Approves 6.9% Average Cut in Workers’ Comp Rates But Roofers Are Worried
Florida’s insurance commissioner has approved a 6.9% average decrease in workers’ compensation rates for the voluntary market for 2026, marking the ninth straight year of rate cuts in the state. Click here for full article.
Program Business
Florida Approves 6.9% Workers’ Compensation Rate Decrease for 2026
Florida employers will see another reduction in workers’ compensation insurance costs following the approval of a 6.9% statewide rate decrease.. Click here for full article.
Insurance Business
Idaho Supreme Court Stops City of Boise from Filing Workers’ Comp Disputes
Idaho’s Supreme Court ruled that only employees – not employers or insurers – can initiate workers’ compensation benefit disputes before the state commission, clarifying procedural authority. Click here for full article.
Business Insurance
Idaho Supreme Court Upholds Denial of Claim for Road Worker’s COVID Death
The Idaho Supreme Court on Friday upheld the denial of a widow’s workers compensation claim for her husband’s death from complications related to COVID-19. Click here for full article.
Michigan Advance
Advocates Challenge Whitmer Policy in Michigan Supreme Court Wednesday Over Workers’ Comp Denials
The Michigan Immigrant Rights Center is suing Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in her official capacity to end the state’s policy of denying worker’s compensation to undocumented immigrants who are injured while working. Click here for full article.
Missouri Independent
Court Rules Missouri Can Fire Workers’ Compensation Judges Like Other State Employees
An administrative law judge fired last year won’t be reinstated and another who took a pay cut while on active military duty won’t win back his lost salary, a Cole County judge decided. Click here for full article.
WorkersCompensation.com
What does ‘Case Management’ Mean in Tennessee?
If you were in the Volunteer State, and you had to define “case management” or “case manager” for workers’ compensation purposes, could you do it? With Simply Research, you could. But we have a few highlights here. Click here for full article.
Insurance Business
Wisconsin Lawmakers Weigh Workers’ Comp Overhaul
Wisconsin lawmakers are reviewing Assembly Bill 651, a measure that would revise several aspects of the state’s workers’ compensation system, including an increase in the maximum weekly compensation for permanent partial disability and updates to compromise claim agreements and statute of limitations rules. Click here for full article.
Bigfoot 99
State to Give Employers Break on Workers’ Comp Costs in 2026
For the third straight year, Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon and the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services will give employers in the state a significant break on workers’ compensation costs in 2026. Click here for full article.
Buckrail
Wyo. Employers To See 15% Rate Reduction For Workers’ Comp
Wyoming employers will see a reduction in costs associated with workers’ compensation in 2026, according a press release from Gov. Mark Gordon on Monday. Click here for full article.
General News
Risk & Insurance
Protecting Workers Before Tragedy Strikes: A Shift Toward Proactive Workplace Violence Prevention
Workplace violence is, unfortunately, on the rise. According to National Safety Council data, 57,610 injuries from assaults were reported in 2021-22. This further resulted in 525 fatalities for the same timeframe. Click here for full article.
CNBC
Surveillance Tech Leads Workers’ Comp Claims to Plummet at NYC Construction Sites
New technology is cutting workers’ compensation claims and fraud across industries. But in construction, the results are on camera. Click here for full article.
Insurance Journal
Workers’ Compensation Medical Claims Trending Up
Medical costs per claim have begun to rise following a period of relative stability post-pandemic, a new report shows. Click here for full article.
NCCI
Home Health Service and Skilled Nursing Facility Trends in Workers Compensation
This report examines recent trends in the use of home health and skilled nursing services in workers compensation claims. It highlights significant differences in expected accident year costs when segmented by claim size and injury type. Click here for full article.
NCCI
Medical Inflation Insights, October 2025
The Medical Inflation Insights report provides a quarterly overview of the latest insights and analysis into what is driving changes in prices and how these changes may or may not impact workers compensation. Click here for full article.
Safety + Health
Are Toxic Workplaces Becoming the Norm?
The number of employees reporting that they work in a “toxic environment” is high – as are claims that employers aren’t doing enough to support mental health, according to the results of a recent survey. Click here for full article.