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September 8, 2023 A crane collapse at Miami’s HCA Mercy Hospital killed one construction worker and injured four others. During a renovation project at the hospital, the 200-foot mechanical equipment fell onto construction workers according to City of Miami Building Director Asael Marrero. The Miami Police Department’s homicide and crime scene investigation units, OSHA, and the Miami-Dade Medical Examiners Department are conducting a multi-department investigation as of the writing of this post. With its booming real estate and construction industry, Florida has become a hotspot for construction accidents, leaving workers, bystanders, and their families devastated. According to the Florida Department of Health, there was an average of 53 fatal construction accidents per year between 2007 and 2011. Common Causes of Construction Accidents… Read more

September 4, 2023 Florida has risen 7 spots in the annual ranking since Gov. Ron DeSantis took office. When it comes to wages, worker protections and union rights, Florida has a lot of room for improvement, according to a state-by-state analysis of labor conditions nationwide. The Sunshine State ranks closer to the bottom than the top of the newest “Best and Worst States to Work” index (BWSI). It placed 30th among all U.S. states, Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C. Read more

August 29, 2023 The National Council on Compensation Insurance has proposed an average 15.1% decrease in rates for Florida, starting Jan. 1, the latest and one of the largest reduction recommendations in more than a decade of rate filings. The filing, which will be reviewed by the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, follows an 8.4% decrease recommended last year, a 4.9% decrease in 2021 and a 5.7% cut in 2020. The filing for 2024 was based on experience data from policy years 2020 and 2021 and comes despite an uptick in medical costs, NCCI said in a summary. Florida’s medical costs are expected to rise due to recent medical fee schedule updates, finally allowed after years of debate. The state Department of Administrative Hearings in May dismissed a challenge from Zenith Insurance Co. and others that argued that parts of the reimbursement plan approved by the Division of Workers’ Compensation was out of line with other states and fees are based on inflated hospital charges, not actual payments accepted by the providers. Read more

August 28, 2023 The National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) has proposed a 15.1 percent reduction in workers’ compensation insurance rates for businesses providing coverage in Florida. The proposal is based on data analysis from Policy Years 2020 and 2021, indicating positive loss experiences during this period and reflecting the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Nationally, the workers’ compensation system across the nation reflects positive trends, with the NCCI reporting that lost-time claims relative to premium payments recorded a 4 percent decline compared to the year prior The National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) put forth a proposal on Friday for adjustments to workers’ compensation insurance rates in Florida, potentially taking effect at the beginning of the next calendar year. The proposal recommends a reduction of 15.1 percent in the rates applicable to businesses that provide workers’ compensation coverage. The suggested reduction is predicated upon an analysis of data derived from Policy Years 2020 and 2021, according to a report filed by the organization, extending up until the end of 2022. Read More

August 24, 2023 Florida authorities this week charged a south Florida contractor with underreporting his payroll by almost $6 million, cheating his workers’ compensation insurer out of more than $350,000 in premiums. Miguel Porras, principal at Thiago’s Enterprise Construction, of Pembroke Pines, was arrested Tuesday and charged with workers’ compensation fraud and theft, according to a bulletin from Jimmy Patronis, Florida’s chief financial officer. In 2021, Porras applied for workers’ compensation coverage through Southeast Personnel Leasing Inc. and claimed an annual payroll of about $56,000. His company paid about $4,400 in premium, said Patronis, whose Department of Financial Services includes the state Division of Workers’ Compensation and investigative units. Read More

August 21, 2023 Employers: Astro Skating Center of Brandon LLC, operating Astro Skate Family Fun Center of Brandon 750 W. Robertson St., Brandon, FL 33511 Astro Skating Center of Ormond Beach LLC, operating Astro Skate Ormond Beach 250 US-1, Ormond Beach, FL 32174 CMC Realty Inc., operating Astro Skating Center Tarpon Springs 875 Cypress St., Tarpon Springs, FL 34689 Astro Skate Pinellas Park LLC, operating Astro Skate Family Fun Center of Pinellas Park 10001 66th St. N., Pinellas Park, FL 33782 Astro Skating Center of Bradenton LLC, operating Astro Skate of Bradenton 3611 3rd St. W., Bradenton, FL 34205 Investigation findings: U.S. Department of Labor investigators found the employers allowed 33 employees – 14- and 15-year-olds – to work outside of legally allowed hours, a violation of the child labor provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act. Specifically, the employer let the minors work past 7 p.m. while school was in session, past 9 p.m. between June 1 and Labor Day, more than three hours when school was in session, more than eight hours on non-school days and more than 18 hours during school weeks. In addition, the employers failed to keep accurate records documenting the ages of the minor employees. Civil money penalties assessed: $26,103 to address child labor violations. Read More