Back on January 21, 2021, Governor DeWine signed House Bill 308. The bill intended to cover first responders who suffer post traumatic stress disorder injuries in the course of their employment.  The bill created a fund for public employers to contribute to fund these benefits for first responders. The bill was passed over ten months ago with the intent that the fund be created and benefits be awarded in short order. Unfortunately, the Governor has sat idle these ten months and no fund has been created. Furthermore, until the fund is created, no benefits will ever be paid out. For the moment, House Bill 308 provide the governor and his friends in Columbus political cover without paying first responders a penny in benefits.

Call Governor DeWine and your representatives in the state legislature-your state representative and state senator- today and demand the state create the first responder PTSD Fund and provide the benefits they promised!
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In a 74-22 vote, the Ohio House passed a bill last week which provides first responders with post traumatic stress disorder coverage through the state's workers' compensation system. This same bill passed the Ohio House last year by the substantially smaller margin of 56-33. 

The bill now moves to the Ohio Senate. Unfortunately for first responders, last year the Ohio Senate failed to pass the bill and killed the House's bill once it reached conference committee. Experts are more optimistic this year as Senate President Larry Obhof has voiced his support for the bill. Governor DeWine has also vocalized his support for the bill.

Those who suffer from post traumatic stress disorder have difficulty recovering after experiencing or witnessing a terrifying event. Symptoms might include nightmares, anxiety or depression. Suicidal thoughts or actions also are possible. Workers' compensation in Ohio currently only covers psychological injuries or diseases that can be proven to stem from a physical injury suffered while at work. The current law leaves hundreds of first responders suffering without coverage, include several Hurm Law Firm clients. 

If you support your first responders, please contact your Ohio State Senator and let them know.  If you don't know your state senate district, click here to find out. Then call your state senator and voice your support for House Bill 308.

It has become more common for employers across the country to work with their competitors to agree to not poach employees from each other. These agreements limit employees' ability to test their value on the free market and are monopolistic in nature. They are called "no poach" agreements.

The United States Department of Justice, Antitrust Division published a Division Update in April of 2018 entitled, “No More No-Poach: The Antitrust Division Continues to Investigate and Prosecute “No-Poach” and Wage Fixing Agreements.”[1] The documents states that the Division is actively pursuing investigations into so-called “no poach” and wage-fixing agreements between employers because when companies agree not to hire or recruit one another’s employees, they are agreeing not to compete for those employees’ labor.

On the heels of federal government enforcement actions and other legislative efforts to stop or curtail the use of "no poach" agreements in the private sector, class action attorneys have caught wind, and private lawsuits challenging "no poach" agreements are on the rise from coast to coast. See, e.g., Deslandes v. McDonald’s USA, LLC(N.D. Ill. 2017); Ion v. Pizza Hut, LLC (E.D. Tex. 2017); Frost v. LG Electronics, Inc. (N.D. Cal. 2018); Butler v. Jimmy John’s Franchise, LLC, et al. (S.D. Ill. 2018); Yi v. SK Bakeries, LLC, et al. (W.D. Wash. 2018); Ogden v. Little Caesars Enterprises, Inc., et al.(E.D. Mich. 2018); Michel v. Restaurant Brands Int’l Inc., et al. (S.D. Fla. 2018); Avery v. Albany Shaker Donuts LLC, et al. (S.D.N.Y. 2018); Newbauer v. Jackson Hewitt Tax Services, Inc. (E.D. Vir.); In re: H&R Block Employee Antitrust Litigation (MDL – N.D. Ill.); In re: Railway Industry Employee No-Poach Antitrust Litigation (MDL – W.D. Pa). These lawsuits challenge “no poach” agreements under the Sherman Act and other antitrust statutes.

If you work for an employer that has a "no poach" agreement, it is artificially holding down you wages, limiting your job opportunities, and you should fight it. Contact the Hurm Law Firm for a free consultation. 

​When the law cannot help a client, the Hurm Law Firm will not shy away from using other avenues, such as the news media, to help. A Hurm Law Firm client, firefighter Scott Stoltz, was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, but current law does not provide coverage for his treatment. In order to advocate for that change, the Hurm Law Firm arranged for him to speak to Fox 8 News. His story appeared on all their broadcasts yesterday afternoon and evening. To view the news story and watch the video, click here.

The hope is that this will increase the political pressure on the state legislature to act and provide the coverage that first responders deserve. This kind of advocacy is another example of the Hurm Law Firm going above and beyond the call of duty for its clients. If you suffered a work injury and would like a free consultation, call (216) 860-1922.

I have spent my whole career fighting for working people, but my creation of a law firm built entirely around that premise was always a dream. That dream became a reality one year ago when the Hurm Law Firm, LLC was launched. We have had our share of bumps along the way, but the Hurm Law Firm, LLC has introduced itself in-person with over one hundred and fifty unions, over eighty doctors, and provided several dozen workers' compensation trainings to local unions throughout Northeast Ohio. From building trades, to firefighters, from federal employees to steelworkers, Hurm Law Firm, LLC is the best choice throughout Northeast Ohio for working families struggling with a work injury . 

I could not be more proud of this firm and I look forward to many more years of success.

Matthew T. Hurm, Esq.

According to a study published in The American Journal of Medicine, two years after a cancer diagnosis, 42.4 percent of patients depleted their entire life's savings. To help Ohio firefighters avoid such a tragedy, Ohio passed the Palumbo Act in 2017. Unfortunately, according to the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, only 26 of the 124 claims under the Palumbo Act have both been approved by the Bureau and not appealed by the city. The vast majority of firefighter claims under the Palumbo Act fail or are challenged and a big reason why is the lack of proof that the firefighters were exposed to the specific carcinogens required under the law.

Fortunately, the Hurm Law Firm has created a carcinogen exposure report and carcinogen exposure tracking system to help ensure that Ohio firefighters always have the proof they need to use the protections under the Palumbo Act and can protect their families from financial ruin. We provide all this information and material in a free presentation we provide to local firefighter unions. If you are interested in such a training, please do not hesitate to contact us at (216) 860-1922.