Jeremy Buchalski (Partner-New York) was quoted in the June 7, 2020, edition of Risk & Insurance in an article titled “California’s COVID-19 Presumptions Could Mean Big Costs for Workers’ Comp.” According to California Governor Gavin Newsome’s Executive Order N-62-20, any COVID-19-related illness of an employee “shall be presumed to arise out of and in the course of employment for purposes of awarding workers’ compensation benefits.” Jeremy noted that California Workers' Compensation Institute (CWCI) data certainly suggests the workers’ compensation costs associated with COVID-19 will have a resulting effect on an employer’s payroll costs. “However,” he says, “the full picture will not be entirely clear until it is known how many claims will result in significant medical costs related to hospitalization or indemnity costs due to lengthy absences from work or death. While the most catastrophic claims could be significantly more costly than the average workers’ compensation claim, employers will likely see a reduction in other types of claims due to stay-at-home orders, layoffs and furloughs as a result of the novel coronavirus.”

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