Skip to content

Colorado

Colorado Workers’ Comp Reforms

Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper has signed legislation approving state workers’ compensation reforms. Senate Bill 11-199, sponsored in the House by James Riesberg, D, and sponsored in the Senate by Lois Tochtrop, D: Requires an employer to admit liability for reasonable and necessary medical benefits in claims in which an authorized treating physician recommends medical benefits after maximum medical improvement if there is no contrary medical opinion in the record. Permit parties in connection with case hearings, as long as they have attorney representation to engage in discovery without need for permission. Require the employer to provide advance payments to claimants,… Read More »Colorado Workers’ Comp Reforms

Which Insurance Company Should Pay for Expenses?

A Colorado Court of Appeal has ruled that an insurer cannot file suit against another insurer for its failure to cancel a policy. According to court documents in First Comp Insurance v. Industrial Claim Appeals Office of the State of Colorado, First Comp Insurance asked the court to review the finding of an administrative law judge that it was liable for funeral expenses arising out of a workplace fatality because Pinnacol Assurance, the insurer for the decedent’s direct employer, failed to properly cancel the employer’s workers’ compensation insurance policy. According to court documents, when an employer was fatally injured in the… Read More »Which Insurance Company Should Pay for Expenses?

Pinnacol Tax Heaven is not Over

Colorado law makers are thinking to take away some tax exemptions for Pinnacol Assurance. The Budget Committee decided last week to draft the legislation. The decision follows the release of documents showing that the state-chartered workers’ compensation insurance company spent more than $300K on a trip to Pebble Beach, Calif.. Hey, why not, if Pinnacol pays no state or federal taxes. It operates largely like a private insurer but it must provide insurance to any company that can’t get coverage elsewhere. Some of the proposals are to continue to exempt Pinnacol from taxes on those last-resort polices but Pinnacol would have to start… Read More »Pinnacol Tax Heaven is not Over