Workers’ compensation is essential to providing the support and resources workers and their loved ones need following on-the-job accidents. Unfortunately, states across the country have reconstructed workers’ compensation in ways that make it increasingly difficult for injured workers to secure the full and fair compensation they need.
A recently published investigative article from ProPublica and NPR explores the troubling changes of workers’ compensation reform and how it affects injured workers and their families. Here are a few key details about the issue:
- Over the past decade, 33 states have made significant cutbacks to their workers’ compensation systems. The cutbacks have resulted in fewer benefits, difficulties in qualifying for benefits, and lengthy battles when filing claims or seeking medical treatment.
- Workers’ compensation reform is often backed by big businesses and insurance companies which argue that costs are out of control, despite the fact that employers are paying the lowest rates for workers’ compensation insurance since the ’70s and insurers are seeing some of their most profitable years in over a decade.
- Due to the cutbacks, the costs of workers’ comp benefits have shifted to taxpayers, who now pay out tens of billions of dollars each year through Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.
- In many states, medical decisions have been placed under the control of employers and insurers, rather than doctors or the injured workers themselves.
The widespread changes have affected millions of injured workers and families as they seek medical treatment for their injuries and struggle to stay afloat despite a substantial slash in income – all while business and insurance companies thrive. The problem has become so severe that many judges and legal experts have called the new laws inhumane.
Having helped numerous clients through the workers’ compensation process in Nevada, our team at Shook & Stone is very familiar with the challenges injured workers face during the workers’ comp application process, appeal process, and throughout their journeys to secure the medical treatment and compensation they require. Our firm is committed to helping clients navigate these challenges, and we have the experience to fight effectively on their behalves.
If you or a family member has recently been injured on the job in Las Vegas or anywhere throughout Nevada, our award-winning attorneys are here to help you understand your legal rights and options, and how we can be of assistance during this difficult process. To discuss your case with a workers’ compensation lawyer from our firm during a FREE consultation, contact us today.
You can read the full article and investigation here.
