New York Workers Compensation Board

The Full Board meeting involved several key agenda items. The Office of General Counsel presented its departmental statistical analysis for January 2026, detailing activity across the Adjudication Division (hearings held, cases resolved, reserve decisions issued, pre-hearing conferences, and Section 32 Waiver Agreements finalized), the Administrative Review Division (applications received and cases processed), and the Office of Legal Affairs (applications for Full Board review received and processed). The Board also reviewed and acted upon Licensing Applications under Section 24-a, Section 50(3-b), and Section 50(3-d), including three-year renewals for several entities. Furthermore, decisions from three cases of the Appellate Division, Third Department, were adopted as the decisions of the Board following a recommendation from the Office of General Counsel. Finally, the Board addressed discretionary Full Board Review cases, moving to refer two specific matters back to their respective Panels for further consideration.

The Full Board meeting involved the presentation and unanimous acceptance of the statistical and informational reports from the Office of General Counsel for December 2025. The Board also unanimously approved recommendations for licensing applications across various sections, including Claimant Representatives and Third Party Administrators (TPA). Furthermore, the Board accepted the Legal Appeals' recommendations concerning decisions by the Appellate Division, Third Department, making several specific orders official Board Orders. In Mandatory Full Board review cases, the Board adopted the Majority opinion in the Matter of Miss Lillys by a vote of 11 to 12. Several cases, including those involving Nassau County Police Department, Macy's Retail Holdings Inc., and Dejana Truck and Utility Equip., were granted Discretionary Full Board review, leading to the rescinding of previous decisions and referral back to the Board Panel for further consideration. Guest speakers included the President/CEO and Chief Actuary of the NYCIRB.

The full board meeting commenced after the chair welcomed attendees and confirmed remote participation logistics. Key agenda items included the approval of the January 13, 2026, meeting minutes. The Office of General Counsel presented a statistical analysis for January 2026, detailing metrics from the adjudication, administrative review, and legal affairs divisions, including the number of hearings held, cases resolved, and applications processed. The board also reviewed and approved licensing applications recommended by the assigned panel. Furthermore, the board addressed three decisions from the appellate division regarding legal appeals, adopting the recommendations of the office of general counsel. Finally, the board referred two cases (6A and 6B) from the discretionary full board review section back to their respective panels for further consideration.

The meeting included the presentation of the Office of General Counsel's Departmental Report for December 2025, detailing statistics from the Adjudication Division, Administrative Review Division, and Legal Affairs Division. The Board considered and approved recommendations for various Licensing Applications across different sections (Workers' Compensation Law Section 24-a, Section 50(3-b), and Section 50(3-d)). Additionally, the Board addressed Legal Appeals, adopting six decisions from the Appellate Division Third Department. A mandatory Full Board Review case (5A, Miss Lillys) was decided with an 11-to-1 vote. Discretionary Full Board Review was granted for three cases (6A, 6B, 6C), which were referred back to their respective Panels. The session concluded with a presentation by Jeremy Attie, President and CEO, and Ziv Kimmel, Chief Actuary, of the New York Compensation Insurance Rating Board, who provided highlights from their 2025 State of the System Report, focusing on claim frequency, indemnity severity, and medical severity trends, noting changes related to employment, economic recessions, opioid utilization, and claim settlement activity.

The full board meeting covered several agenda items. Key discussions included the approval of the December 16, 2025, minutes. The Office of General Counsel presented departmental statistics for December 2025, detailing claims resolved, waivers finalized, and case inventories across adjudication, administrative review, and legal affairs divisions. License applications for three-year renewals under various sections (24A, 53B) were presented and approved. Legal appeals decisions from the college division third department were recommended for adoption. Mandatory full board review was granted for case 5A, with a roll call vote recorded due to an opposition vote. Discretionary full board review was granted for cases 6A, 6B, and 6C, which were then referred back to their respective panels. The meeting concluded with special guests from the New York Compensation Insurance Rating Board presenting highlights from their 2025 State of the System report, focusing on claim frequency, indemnity severity, and medical severity trends.