Federal Government May Get More Involved With Workers’ Comp Claims

According to the United States Department of Labor (DOL), workers’ comp laws across the country could be in for a big change down the road. Currently, most workers’ compensation programs are run at a state-level but talks of developing legislation could potentially add massive federal government oversight. Many organizations, including the popular National Public Radio (NPR), have expressed concern that this would likely lead to a trend of weakening compensation benefits and laws as a whole; other groups with the same sentiment include insurance companies and small-scale employers.

The DOL has stated that within the last decade, policies and laws have:

• Limited benefits to the average worker.
• Complicated the requirements for successful applications.
• Generally discouraged injured employees from seeking benefits.

Within a newly-released DOL report, there was the claim that federal government oversight would be necessary for states that do not meet certain workers’ compensation program standards. Beyond this general idea, several states are currently working on revised workers’ comp bills. South Carolina, Tennessee, Wisconsin, and Illinois are just a few of these states that may already be leaning towards the intervention of the federal government for its workers’ compensation programs.

For more information regarding the recent DOL report, you can actually view it in its entirety by clicking here and visiting the DOL government website.

Thomas F. Martin, PLC – our Orange County workers’ comp attorney – can help you navigate the California Workers Compensation system. Call 714.547.5025 to schedule a free case evaluation today.