Workers’ compensation law differs from one state to another. So while losing your arm at work in another state could net you $45,000, you could get awarded with benefits that go beyond $740,000 in another. Since congress allows each state to govern compensation for injuries sustained at work, to determine its own roundup of benefits, workers from different states can experience massively different outcomes for injuries that are just the same in every way. A leg is a leg, no matter where you happen to lose it. But it seems not everyone thinks the same way.
Cutbacks and Rollbacks
Reforms to the workers’ compensation law have largely resulted in many a disastrous fallout. Rollbacks, urged on by employers as well as insurers, have chipped away at workers’ compensation benefits, all in a bid to lower costs for insurance companies and businesses.
Since 2003, for instance, laws from 33 states were passed, slashing away at benefits. It’s also made it tougher for people with certain conditions to qualify for benefits, even when they’re in dire need of the assistance. In some cases, payments to injured employees have not only shrunk so much, they have been cut off after some time too, even when employees have yet to recover.
On the other hand, insurers had a good year in 2013, getting an 18 percent return while employers today have the lowest workers’ compensation insurance since the 70s, says NPR.
Getting Help
Workers who get injured on the job these days often have a tough time accessing the funds they need to cover the cost of their treatment, medication and lost wages, among other things. That’s where hiring a personal injury lawyer comes in. For workers who want due compensation and the peace of mind knowing justice has been served, getting their own personal injury lawyer is a good start.