NWCR 2026!
Day two of the 2026 National Workers' Compensation Review (NWCR) at WCI 2026 begins with the State of the States. A series of posts is listed at the conclusion of this one, providing a roadmap to the entire NWCR 2026 agenda.
State of the States: National Case Law Highlights 2025-2026
Tuesday, August 25, 2026; 8:45-9:45 a.m.
Grand Ballroom 8B
This presentation will be an energetic start to a day packed with content and expertise. Five attorneys from across the country will address the recent rulings and legal challenges that confront the world of workers' compensation.
There are many opportunities to see workers' compensation as state-specific. But in the information age, flaws and cracks in both statutes and historical interpretations (precedent) are exposed and discussed in national forums like the NWCR, social media, and more. What works or fails in a jurisdiction may inspire or confound in another. National trends matter in the information age.
Layered on the decisional aspect are the various legislative changes. Workers' compensation is seemingly always ripe for legislative examination and alteration. In addition, there are the potentials for regulatory change and interpretation regarding how those statutes are interpreted, integrated, and implemented.
This panel discussion will highlight what has changed since we gathered last in August 2025. There have been appellate decisions reaching intriguing outcomes, receding from decades-old precedent, and providing marketplace edification and illumination.
Are these outcomes anomalies? Some may be developing trends. Are these outcomes compelling? Some may have minimal potential for expansion or repetition. Are these outcomes worth study and consideration? That will be a collective analysis with room for audience engagement and questions.
The world of workers' compensation will continue to change and evolve in the years to come. The insight of this panel may well set the stage for us to understand the possibilities and probabilities of how, when, and where.
State of the States: National Case Law Highlights 2025-2026
Tuesday, August 25, 2026; 8:45-9:45 a.m.
Grand Ballroom 8B (Entrance through corridor Grand Ballrooms 7 & 8)
Panelists:
Zach W. Jarrett, Holder Padgett Littlejohn & Prickett; Charleston, SC
Marguerite L. Jonak, Esq., Manning Kass, San Diego, CA
Kristina Jones, Jones & Jones; New York, NY
Sarah Reisner, Manier & Herod; Nashville, TN
Rusty Watts, Swift Currie, McGhee, & Hiers, LLP; Atlanta, GA
Sarah Reisner, Manier & Herod; Nashville, TN
Rusty Watts, Swift Currie, McGhee, & Hiers, LLP; Atlanta, GA
NWCR 2026 program overview:
Monday, August 24, 2026
1:00-2:00 NWCR 2026 and Litigation Management
2:10-3:10 Causation Analysis
3:15-4:15 Stewardship of Truth
Tuesday, August 25, 2026
8:45-9:45 State of the States
9:55-10:55 Actuarial Insight and Mysterious Underwriting
11:00-12:00 Empathy
1:00-2:00 Rapid Fire Hot Topics
2:10-3:10 Beyond Exclusive Remedy
3:15-4:15 Strategies to Thrive in Times of Change
