News from around the internet

Quoting Daniel Weintraub of the Sacramento Bee (link unavailable):

"Among the possible fixes: Eliminate permanent disability payments for injuries that cannot be objectively measured (that's Schwarzenegger's proposal). Or base such payments only on the documented diminished ability to work. Or drop the dueling doctors and go straight to a neutral third party."

 

In other words cut down the award that an injured worker receives. It's not enough that a worker has to survive on 2/3 of their average earnings during medical treatment, they have to have an "objective" injury, such as an amputated hand! Most work injuries are to the back, causing constant pain. Payments for these injuries would be eliminated under the proposed "reforms".

 

No doubt there will be great savings to employers since most workers will receive little compensation, if any. The fact that a worker may need to change careers will not be taken into account, as long as they can perform a "given" job.  Eliminating "dueling" doctors might be a good idea, if a truly "neutral" doctor could be found. However, a neutral third party, who is not a doctor cannot do justice to the real medical problems that workers face.