Workers’ Compensation

Okay.  I’ve seen and heard enough.  Being in the insurance business, specifically Workers’ Compensation, not only am I disheartened by the bad people who “sue” their employers, but I’m shocked at the stupidity of these same people who think they are making a fortune.

For one thing, every state in this nation requires employers to carry workers’ compensation insurance.  It is not only mandatory, but statutory, meaning that it has it’s own set of laws, rules/regulations, etc, that dictate how to pay benefits, how much, and when.  There are no made up numbers or dollars, every state has a schedule of how much your injury is worth.  It is nonnegotiable. 

Second of all, it is a NO FAULT system, meaning that regardless of whatever idiotic act an employee did to hurt himself (like running down a hallway to answer a phone and tripping over his own shoelace), it is STILL covered.  This was to protect employers from frivolous lawsuits and gave employees immediate medical and income benefits if they lost time from work.

Thirdly, the costs of your claim come out of employees pockets.  Yes, that’s right.  Every dime used to pay you disability benefits and medical bills come out of your pocket.  How?  It’s an operating cost for your employer, just like salary.  The higher insurance premiums your employer has, the lower the raises you get, lower bonuses (if any), higher health insurance premiums.  Ah, didn’t know that did you!

And what’s with the attitude that once you injure yourself you treat your employer like shit like it’s their fault?  YOU fell, no one pushed you (as is USUALLY the case), so what are you doing?

Do you really think your employer BELIEVES how injured you are because you whine and complain at work?  Go into show business if you want that attention.  We don’t cry about our injuries we sustain at home do we?  No.  But you injured workers feel you need to prove up your case.  It’s not necessary and, IN FACT, causes your employer to rethink your honesty!

Next up:  Settlements.  So you got an attorney who’s convinced you that not only did you hurt your back, but your sex life, sleeping, and psyche are all injured as well.  Really?   So now your employer can’t talk to you and KNOWS way too much about the crap you and your attorney are trying to pass off as work injuries.  You fell, no one pushed you or cut off your balls. 

Here’s what kind of settlement you’ll get for the scenario above:  First, you will lose your job. Bet your attorney didn’t tell you that right?  They found you a doctor to give you a really high permanent disability rating, say it’s worth $35k.  Well that same doctor also said you couldn’t do certain things in that job and your employer can’t alter that job any more and now you are out of a job.  Your attorney wants to get paid (he gets 15% of whatever YOU get). 

So let’s say your work comp claim has been open 4 years (that is the average for any of you who get attorneys by the way) and in the end, you settle for $50,000.  OOOHhhh.  You won the lottery!  $50k less 15% (atty fees) = $42,500 in your pocket.  You could buy a boat, a car, etc!  Well let’s look at it this way.  Say you missed the max 2 years of work and received $500/week (based on $39k annual salary).  That’s $52,000 tax free.  Oh, and by the way, Work Comp qualifies for FMLA so after 12 weeks, you now have to pay your own health insurance (and yes, it’s legal).  So $52,000 + $42,500 = $94,500 in total benefits.  Sounds like you did great being off work for 4 years right?  Divide that by the 4 years your claim has been open and that works out to be $23,625 per year in income.   Didn’t do so hot did ya?  No job.  No health insurance.  No other benefits.  You saw a pay off and didn’t do the math so you ended up losing over $15k per year!

So for those who take their legitimate injuries TOO FAR, consider what you will lose if you not only get an attorney, but exaggerate and add body parts.  After all, when we hurt ourselves at home, we usually go to work right?  Sure, you see people with casts and canes all the time.  But for those with a little back strain from work, you miss as much time as you can and try to “milk” your employer when all you end up doing is hurting yourself. 

Congratulations to the idiot workers of America.  You are just bad human beings and should be ashamed of trying to get ahead by cheating the system. 

— Good luck with your claim you Moron.

Shamerica