NWCDN Members regularly post articles and summary judgements in workers’ compensations law in your state.
Select a state from the dropdown menu below to scroll through the state specific archives for updates and opinions on various workers’ compensation laws in your state.
Contact information for NWCDN members is also located on the state specific links in the event you have additional questions or your company is seeking a workers’ compensation lawyer in your state.
3 New MD Workers’ Compensation Commissioners
James K. MacAlister
From Cohen, Snyder, Eisenberg,
& Katzenberg, P.A., where he focused on Claimant Workers’ Compensation
claims. A graduate from the University of Baltimore School of Law, Mr.
MacAlister has been practicing since 1984. Mr. MacAlister is also admitted to
practice in Federal Courts and has handled appeals in all of Maryland’s
Appellate Courts, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
Notably, Mr. MacAlister has published numerous Articles in the Maryland
Association for Justice dealing with workers’ Compensation issues. Mr.
MacAlister has also previously received the Robert Zarbin Maryland Association
for Justice Award for Outstanding Legislative Work Trial Lawyer of the Year –
Maryland Association for Justice Leadership in the Law.
Stephane Romano
From Antezana & Antezana, LLC,
where she focuses on Claimant Workers’ Compensation claims. A 2015 graduate
from the University of Maryland School of Law, Ms. Romano is admitted to
practice in both Maryland and Virginia. Ms. Romano is a member of the Hispanic
National Bar Association and Maryland State Bar Association. She is also fluent
in Spanish and Portuguese and has served the community as an intern and
volunteer for Catholic Charities helping immigrants with their DACA, TPS, and
Applications for Naturalization. Ms. Romano was selected to Super Lawyers
Rising Stars list from 2019 – 2020, and 2022 – 2025.
Kenrick
Roberts
A proud resident of Prince George’s
County and originally from St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, Commissioner Roberts
brings a wealth of experience and dedication to serving Maryland’s workforce.
Before
joining the Commission, he spent nearly a decade at Berman, Sobin, Gross, LLP,
advocating for injured workers before the Commission and in Maryland’s
appellate courts. His impressive career includes service as a judicial law
clerk in Wicomico County, work in higher education, and recognition as a Rising
Star by Super Lawyers since 2020. He has also earned distinctions such as
National Black Lawyers Top 40 Under 40 and Top Attorneys in America.
Commissioner
Roberts holds a Juris Doctor (cum laude) from UDC’s David A. Clarke School of
Law, a Master of Science from Nova Southeastern University, and a Bachelor of
Arts from Saint Leo University.
2026 Rate Changes
AWW Cap
$1,537.00 (up from $1,493.00)
PPD
Rates
<75wks.
$257.00 (up from
$250.00)
75-249wks.
$513.00 (up from $498.00)
>250wks.
$1,153.00
(up from $1,120.00)
TPD Rate
$769.00 (up from
$747.00)
Mileage
Reimbursement Rate
72.5¢ per mile (up from 70¢)
COLA Increase
Increase of 2.95% (down
from 2025’s 3.11% increase)
Legislative Changes
Report on Workers’ Compensation
Insurance
2025 Maryland Laws Ch. 308 (S.B.
830): alters the
entities to which and the information of which a claimant is required to
authorize the release in a claim application filed with the Workers'
Compensation Commission.
2025 Maryland Laws Ch. 198 (H.B. 15
/ S.B. 144): authorizes
the formation of limited worker cooperative associations; and establishes rules
and procedures for the formation, governance, conversion, and dissolution of
limited worker cooperative associations. A provision under the law, which the
Insurance Commissioner is charged with enforcing, requires an insurer that
provides workers’ compensation insurance to members of a limited worker
cooperative association to calculate premiums for members who are covered
employees: (1) in accordance with Title 11, Subtitle 3 and Title 19, Subtitle 4
of the Insurance Article; and (2) based on the covered employee’s actual
payroll value.
Both
found here.
HB193/SB219 [went] into effect on July 1,
2025 and amends Md. Code Ann., Lab & Empl., § 9-1007 by increasing the
assessment on Awards against Employers/Insurers by up to an additional 1.5% if
the Board determines that the reserves of the Fund are inadequate. The bill
also requires the Workers’ Compensation Commission to designate a special
monitor to assess the financial condition of the Uninsured Employers’ Fund. The
bill amends § 9-1011 to increase the amount of the Fund from $5,000,000 to
$10,000,000 as the threshold for suspending assessments by the employers and
insurers and provides that payment of assessments would be resumed if the
amount of the Fund becomes less than $8,000,000 or is expected to become less
than $8,000,000 during the next 3 months. If assessments are suspended, the
Fund must notify each self-insured employer and insurer to advise when
assessments are to be resumed.
Senate
Bill 227 [went]
into effect on July 1, 2025 and amends Md. Code Ann., Lab & Empl., §9-610.1
by providing the Commission with the authority to allow a credit for benefits
previously paid by the Uninsured Employer’s Fund that were also paid by the
Employer. The bill also changes § 9-1002 and alters the process by which the
Fund is notified by a claim and required to pay compensation. Once enacted, the
Commission must provide the Fund with notice of a claim, must send notice to
the covered employee or their dependents that any documentation required by the
Fund shall be completed, and the uninsured employer must be given notice of the
claim before action is taken against them. The Fund will also be required to
pay benefits or contest the claim within 21 days of receiving notice of the
claim and can implead other employers and insurers to the claim. The bill also
establishes requirements for uninsured employers, including depositing security
that is sufficient to cover a claim by a covered employee and requires the
payment of compensation ordered within 30 days of the date of the award.
Lastly, if the Fund pays an award while an appeal is pending, the Fund would
remain entitled to full reimbursement from the uninsured employer.
Senate
Bill 695 [went]
into effect on October 1, 2025, and alters the makeup of the Uninsured
Employers’ Fund board. The Board will now consist of:
Two
members with substantial experience as officers or employees of a property and
casualty insurance company;
One member with substantial experience in the field of accounting or finance;
One member as a policy holder of workers’ compensation insurance in the State;
and
One member representing the general public.
Senate
Bill 830 [went]
into effect on October 1, 2025 and alters Md. Code Ann., Lab & Empl. §
9-709, § 9-710(b), and § 9-711 to include an authorization on the employee’s
claim form, including work injury, occupational disease, and death claims for
release of medical and financial information, including information related to
additional claims filed by the employee and information in the custody of the
Commission. This will eliminate the need for parties to issue subpoenas to the
Workers’ Compensation Commission to obtain information on prior claims.