Some injured workers could face delays after Nevada cyberattack, attorneys say

Some injured workers could face delays in receiving care as a result of the massive cyberattack that continues to cripple Nevada services.

Workers’ compensation attorneys in Nevada say the cyberattack hit the workers’ compensation system hard, and it had already struggled to recover from a backlog of cases during the COVID-19 pandemic.

State officials discovered a ransomware-based cyberattack that forced many state agencies to shut down or limit services two weeks ago. Officials continue to work to put systems back online, though they warned it takes time in order to ensure that bad actors no longer have access. Those systems include important services in workers’ compensation.

Injured workers can continue filing claims through insurance companies, and for those whose claims are accepted, they’ll likely not be affected, according to Lisa Anderson, a Las Vegas-based workers’ compensation attorney.

But for those whose claims are denied and need to be appealed through litigation, injured workers will see some delays, such as in surgeries being authorized and benefit checks rolling out, attorneys say.

‘A screeching halt’

Following the discovery of the cyberattack, workers’ compensation hearings were canceled the first week, and the second week saw limited hearings due to restrictions.

A new e-filing system that the Department of Administration launched in July was taken down, forcing attorneys to resubmit case information using hard copies, which attorneys say will result in further delays in the completion of cases.

Anderson said recovery from the cyberattack will be similar to recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, when there was no access to hearings and everything slowed down.

“It brings everything to a screeching halt, and when it does come back up, you have to find a place to put all the stuff that was affected while it was down,” Anderson said.

She added that the system had recovered from the backlog caused by the pandemic, and the e-filing system helped.

Hearings and appeals officers’ emails were down but are partially back up, and the equipment they use to record hearings also has been down, according to Anderson.

“It just makes it incredibly hard to get any kind of delivery of service,” the attorney said.

The governor’s office and the Department of Administration did not respond to requests for comment, though the state’s recovery website says offices of the Nevada attorney for injured workers have limited to no access to case management systems.

The Division of Industrial Relations’ website has been down for two weeks and holds important information and forms for injured workers, including the state’s approved provider list and forms to request an independent medical evaluation or permanent partial disability, according to Herb Santos, a workers’ compensation attorney based in Reno.

Without those resources, injured workers are limited in their ability to find a doctor to treat their injuries, he said.

“If it’s a hardship for me doing my job, it’s a bigger hardship for an injured worker, especially those injured workers trying to navigate the complex workers’ comp system,” Santos said.

While its website is down, the Department of Business and Industry is posting information to the Safety Consultation and Training Section website, according to Teri Williams, the department’s public information officer.

Attorneys expressed concern about the information on the e-filing system being at risk. Though Social Security numbers are blocked from documents filed with the court, other information, such as medical records, is on the system. They worry that until the digital system is restored or a new one is created, delays could continue.

Calendars also have been affected in the workers’ compensation system. The appeals and hearings offices are asking attorneys to submit a list of all their scheduled hearings for the rest of the year so they can reconstruct their own calendar, multiple attorneys said.

Relying on attorneys to get information over to them creates another problem because there could be gaps in information, Anderson said.

Everyone understands they need to be patient, and they understand it was an outside attack to the system, but it’s hard to ask injured workers to be patient, Anderson said.

“It’s a stressful time in their life,” she said. “They’ve been very patient with the process already.”

Business licenses interrupted

Steven Rappaport, a Las Vegas resident, tried to renew his business license that expired Aug. 31, but the Silverflume business portal was down, Rappaport told the Las Vegas Review-Journal last week.

On Sept. 1, he was able to process the renewal but was charged a $100 late fee. He also couldn’t view or download his new license on the website, which was only showing his expired license, he said.

“It’s just ridiculous,” he said.

The secretary of state’s office said the business licensing portal experienced disruptions due to the cyberattack from 2:13 a.m. on Aug. 24 through 4:46 p.m. on Aug. 26. The portal also experienced service disruptions over the Labor Day weekend because of ongoing work by the governor’s technology office.

The secretary of state’s office is able to waive late fees for filings submitted in person. For online filings, the secretary of state’s office is working on a solution.

DMV services restored with limitations

Last week Department of Motor Vehicles offices reopened for in-person services, and Gov. Joe Lombardo said the offices would begin processing driver’s licenses and IDs in person last Friday.

Services are still limited, however.

The DMV continues experiencing issues with processing first-time IDs or upgrades to a Nevada driver’s license, ID card or instruction permit, the agency posted on X on Monday. The DMV is accepting transactions specifically for renewals of driver’s licenses, ID cards and permits, and duplicates for driver’s licenses and IDs.

Walk-ins are still accepted for those with driver’s license or ID appointments that were canceled between Aug. 25 and Thursday for people not requiring an issuance of a new ID, according to the DMV.

Contact Jessica Hill at jehill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @jess_hillyeah on X.