Industry Impacts Due to COVID-19
Ametros is closely monitoring state workers' compensation boards for closures, as well as virtual options such a telephonic and video meetings. We will be updating this page frequently to provide you with the most up to date information.
Last updated 12/23/2020
| State | Available for in person business | Effective closed for in person | Expected open | Clarifying detail | Impact on settlements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | No | 3/19/2020 | TBD | Telephonic Meetings | Settling w/modifications |
| Alaska | Yes | 3/17/2020 | 5/11/2020 | Options for telephonic participation in most cases. | Settling w/modifications |
| Arizona | No | 3/13/2020 | TBD | Remote appearances (phone and video) | Settling w/modifications |
| Arkansas | No | 3/25/2020 | 5/29/2020 | All prehearing conferences, joint petitions, and full hearings postponed until further notice. | Settling w/modifications |
| California | Yes | 3/16/2020 | 4/3/2020 | DWC will continue to hear expedited hearings for parties that appear at the district offices; continue to hear status conferences and mandatory settlement conferences via CourtCall; all other hearings to be continued | Settling w/modifications |
| Colorado | No | 3/13/2020 | TBD | Telephonic Meetings | Settling w/modifications |
| Connecticut | No | 3/13/2020 | TBD | Telephonic Meetings. Workers' Compensation Commission to dramatically reduce the need for in person hearings, the Compensation Review Board is now offering alternatives for the scheduled June 26, 2020 CRB docket. | Settling w/modifications |
| Delaware | Yes | 3/16/2020 | 6/8/2020 | As of April 13, 2020, there will be availability to hold hearings via video conference. Courts would proceed to Phase One of their reopening plan on June 8, 2020. If no significant issues arise, the Courts will move to Phase Two on approximately June 15, 2020. https://courts.delaware.gov/aoc/covid-19. | Settling w/modifications |
| Florida | No | 3/16/2020 | TBD | Telephonic Meetings | Settling w/modifications |
| Georgia | No | 3/16/2020 | TBD | Postponed all hearings and in-person mediations. Mediations telephonically; The Board extended postponements of hearings from the previous date of April 13th to July 12th and declared that timely payments of weekly benefits must continue; Chief Justice grants relief from deadlines. See notice for more information. In person hearings scheduled after July 12, 2020 | Settling w/modifications |
| Hawaii | No | 3/24/2020 | TBD | Closed until further notice | Not Settling |
| Idaho | No | 3/23/2020 | 5/29/2020 | All hearings, mediations & conferences shall be reset for later date or held telephonic | Settling w/modifications |
| Illinois | No | 3/16/2020 | 4/31/2020 | Commission suspend operations April 2020. Continue all cases to their 90-day continuance date. Emergency hearings only. | Settling w/modifications |
| Indiana | No | 3/24/2020 | 6/15/2020 | Telephonic Meetings. Effective Monday, June 15th, 2020, the Worker’s Compensation Board’s offices will be open to the public by appointment only. In person hearings are being scheduled according to the availability of usual locations while others will continue to be handled telephonically or through written submissions until further notice. | Settling w/modifications |
| Iowa | No | 3/17/2020 | TBD | Utilize video based courtcall. | Settling w/modifications |
| Kansas | No | 3/19/2020 | TBD | Telephonic Meetings | Settling w/modifications |
| Kentucky | No | 3/16/2020 | 5/17/2020 | Telephonic Meetings. As of 4/16 using zoom. Cancellation of all in person until further notice. | Settling w/modifications |
| Louisiana | No | 3/16/2020 | TBD | The Office of Workers’ Compensation Administration, including the workers’ compensation courts will be closed to the public through July 24, 2020. With the exception of unrepresented/pro se settlements, all in-person court appearances and in-person mediations are cancelled until further notice. In-person trials, hearings, and mediations will be rescheduled on an expedited basis. Telephone mediations are permitted and encouraged. | Not Settling |
| Maine | No | 3/17/2020 | 7/1/2020 | CourtCall. We expect all proceedings in May and June to be conducted via remote technology. July is the earliest the Board is likely to begin offering the option of in-person hearings. As we do so, these hearings are likely to be limited to formal hearings where the parties agree in-person witness testimony is necessary. Other proceedings such as lump sum settlements and mediations, will be phased in at a later date. In developing our plan, we are trying to balance the need for in-person hearings, in some situations, with the need to protect the health and safety of our employees and the public that relies on our services. | Settling w/modifications |
| Maryland | No | 3/16/2020 | 6/5/2020 | May 12, 2020 - The Commission announces that we may be resuming in-person hearings effective June 8, 2020. The hearings will be staggered in order to accommodate physical distancing. Beginning on June 22, 2020, the Commission will conduct temperature screenings for members of the public attending in-person hearings. | Not Settling |
| Massachusetts | No | 3/16/2020 | TBD | Telephonic Meetings | Settling w/modifications |
| Michigan | No | 3/16/2020 | TBD | Telephonic Meetings. We are working on plans to resume in-person hearings as safely and as soon as possible. | Settling w/modifications |
| Minnesota | No | 3/23/2020 | TBD | Administrative conferences and mediations remotely by telephone or video conference | Settling w/modifications |
| Mississippi | Yes | 3/13/2020 | 3/30/2020 | Telephonic Meetings. The Comission building is closed through 8/31/20 | Settling w/modifications |
| Missouri | No | 3/19/2020 | 5/29/2020 | Telephonic Meetings. All Confs, Pre-Hearings & Show Cause Dismissal Settings cancelled April 20, 2020- May 29, 2020. | Settling w/modifications |
| Montana | No | 3/23/2020 | TBD | All Courts closed to the public | Not Settling |
| Nebraska | Yes | 3/31/2020 | 11/6/2020 | That all trials scheduled to take place for the remainder of the calendar year of 2020 shall be conducted in-person (live), unless a party files a motion | Settling w/modifications |
| Nevada | No | 3/12/2020 | TBD | Any specific time limit set by state statute or regulation for the commencement of any legal action is hereby tolled from the date of this Directive until 30 days from the date the state of emergency declared on April 1, 2020 is terminated | Not Settling |
| New Hampshire | No | 3/16/2020 | TBD | Telephonic Meetings or continued | Settling w/modifications |
| New Jersey | No | 3/17/2020 | TBD | All N.J. Workers’ Compensation Courts shall continue to be closed to the public until further notice. Since the original closure of the courts, all 43 full-time Judges of Compensation have returned to hear cases by telephonic and video conferencing. | Settling w/modifications |
| New Mexico | No | 3/24/2020 | TBD | Will continue to operate remotely for mediations and hearings, and for much of the agency's daily operations.Mediation, Settlement Conferences, Judicial Hearings and Expedited Lump Sum Hearings will be conducted remotely, either telephonically or via internet web platform. | Settling w/modifications |
| New York | No | 3/16/2020 | TBD | Workers’ compensation hearings remotely. Board locations are temporarily closed. | Settling w/modifications |
| North Carolina | No | 3/16/2020 | 6/1/2020 | Hearings held by conference call and mediations remotely; All In-Person Mediations Must be Scheduled or Rescheduled for a Date on or after January 14, 2021. Postponement of Industrial Commission In-Person Hearings for 30 Days Beginning Monday December 14, 2020. Consistent with Chief Justice Beasley’s December 11, 2020 announcement that North Carolina Courts will postpone non-essential, in-person court proceedings for 30 days beginning Monday December 14, 2020, the Industrial Commission has postponed its in-person hearings during this same time period. Parties who were scheduled to appear for an in-person hearing may be contacted by the Deputy Commissioner assigned to the case to explore the possibility of having the case heard remotely via Webex, if appropriate. | Settling w/modifications |
| North Dakota | Pending Info | TBD | TBD | TBD | |
| Ohio | No | 3/16/2020 | TBD | Telephonic Meetings. As of April 27, 2020, the IC will change the way it conducts telephonic hearings in an effort to increase efficiency. In addition to the names of parties, claim number, date and time of hearing, and general information telephone number, the notices of hearing will state that the hearings will be conducted by telephone, and will provide a number and access code for parties and representatives to call in order to participate. | Settling w/modifications |
| Oklahoma | No | 3/16/2020 | 6/1/2020 | Oklahoma WCC will resume in person trials beginning June 1st | Settling w/modifications |
| Oregon | Yes | 3/17/2020 | TBD | At this time, the division is maintaining all current services and expects minimal disruptions. | Settling |
| Pennsylvania | No | 3/16/2020 | TBD | Telephonic Meetings using SKYPE; mediations via Zoom | Settling w/modifications |
| Rhode Island | No | 3/17/2020 | TBD | Telephonic Meetings. If the parties cannot agree to have their matter heard remotely, they shall advise matter shall be continued to a date in June (provided that the Court is operational). | Settling w/modifications |
| South Carolina | No | 3/25/2020 | 6/1/2020 | Hearings, Informal Conferences will continue to be conducted via telephone until further notice. in-person hearings and informal conferences to include the following language: • Individuals who previously tested positive for COVID-19 or have potentially been exposed to COVID-19, may attend a hearing in-person only after the following criteria have been met: 1) 10 days have passed since the positive result or possible exposure occurred, or 7 days have passed since the positive result and a subsequent test with negative results was completed, AND 2) They are free of fever (100.4 or greater) for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medicines, AND 3) Their other symptoms have improved. • Individuals with pending test results should not attend hearings. |
Settling w/modifications |
| South Dakota | No | 3/20/2020 | TBD | Telephonic Meetings | Settling w/modifications |
| Tennessee | Yes | 3/16/2020 | TBD | Telephonic Meetings | Settling w/modifications |
| Texas | No | 3/16/2020 | TBD | Telephonic Meetings. Contested case hearings have been postponed until March 30, when they will be held by phone. CCHs will resume on Monday, March 30, and will also be conducted by telephone. | Settling w/modifications |
| Utah | No | 3/13/2020 | TBD | Telephonic Meetings | Settling w/modifications |
| Vermont | Yes | 3/18/2020 | TBD | Limiting public access to court buildings. Conferences done via telephone (as they usually are), & parties asked to reach out to Admin Law Judge’s directly to see about changes in handling of formal hearings, pre-trial conferences etc., as these will be determined on a case-by-case basis. | Settling w/modifications |
| Virginia | No | 3/24/2020 | 6/11/2020 | Telephonic Meetings. HQ reopened 4/21/20. VWC Converts all hearings scheduled May 1 - June 10 to Video Hearings. As of 6/11/20 in person hearings subject to requirements of the order. | Settling w/modifications |
| Washington | No | 3/27/2020 | TBD | CourtCall hearings until the end of July. | Settling w/modifications |
| West Virginia | No | 3/17/2020 | TBD | All in-person Commission hearings and mediations have been cancelled. Not possible for the OIC to conduct telephonic hearings due to the need to have a court reporter present to record the hearings. | Not Settling |
| Wisconsin | No | 3/23/2020 | TBD | As of the week of March 23, 2020, will stop conducting in-person hearings, prehearings, and mediations until further notice. Hearings will be converted to settlement telephonic conferences. | Settling w/modifications |
| Wyoming | No | 3/23/2020 | TBD | Telephonic Meetings | Settling w/modifications |
