Changing Times In July of 2018, we reported on a case that should have given many adjusters and insurance carriers cause for concern. At that time, the Worker’s Compensation Appellate Commission issued a ruling in the case of Fisher v....
Michigan's Auto Insurance Changes: Things to Know Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed historic no-fault auto insurance reform legislation on May 30, 2019. After decades of debate over the 1973 auto insurance law, both the Senate and House approved a bill to lower Michigan's highest-in-the-nation auto insurance rates. The...
Marihuana and the Workplace: An Explanation of Employer Rights As of December 6, 2018, marihuana was made legal for recreational use in Michigan. The use of medical marihuana has been legal in Michigan since 2008 when Michigan enacted the Michigan Medical Marihuana Act (MMMA). Marihuana use is becoming...
Making the Transition Michigan law does not explicitly prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender status, but Federal law does, based on the provisions of Title VII. In fact, the Federal court system recently made an important ruling on this exact issue. In...
No Recoupment for You Many defendants and insurance carriers hope that if an accidental overpayment is made to a claimant, those funds can be recouped at a later date. A recent case handed down from the Worker’s Compensation Appellate Commission made recovery in those cases more...
Growing Our Ranks Hanba & Lazar added to its team in September by hiring a new associate, Aaron Majorana. Aaron has experience in employment law, and his prior firm specialized in claims involving the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act, Family and Medical Leave Act, and Whistleblower’s Protection...
In a fairly unusual occurrence, the Michigan Court of Appeals recently issued two opinions directly addressing issues that are frequently seen in the Worker's Compensation arena. While only one of the decisions will have a binding effect after being published, we are glad to see...
At Hanba & Lazar, we’re often asked about how a worker’s compensation magistrate may rule at the time of trial. Usually, we get a feel for a magistrate’s personality and opinions after frequent interactions in court, but the State of Michigan releases statistics summarizing each...
Our last Quarterly Update focused on changes the Trump Administration could make that would affect employers. One such area that has seen recent developments is the Department of Labor and their proposed changes to the Fair Labor Standards Act. These changes have been in the...
After the Presidency of Democrat Barack Obama, we now have a Republican President, Donald Trump, who will inherit a Republican majority in both houses of Congress. While it is impossible to predict exactly what the future has in store, there are some popular beliefs as...