| Author | Subject: INJURED WORKERS HEARING |
| JUDY JOHN | Posted At 21:51:06 05/18/2000
THOUGHT I WOULD PASS THIS ON TO THE REST OF YOU. ON BEHALF OF THE HOUSE DEMOCRATS I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR COMING FORWARD TO TESTIFY AT OUR INJURED WORKERS' HEARING ON MAY 10TH.HEARING YOUR STORY REALLY HELPED PUT A HUMAN FACE ON THE ISSUE AND HELPED TO ILLUMINATE THE MAJOR PITFALLS IN OUR WORKMANS COMPENSATION SYSTEM. ALTHOUGH WE HEARD FROM 15 DIFFERENT WORKERS WITH UNIQUE STORIES AND VARYING CIRCUMSTANCES,A COMMON THEME DEFINATELY EMERGED FROM THE TESTIMONY. THE WORKERS COMPENSATION SYSTEM IS FAILING IN SEVERAL MAJOR AREAS.1)EXCLUSIVE REMEDY HAS BEEN ERODED, LEAVING MANY WORKERS WITH NO RECOURSE, 2)MAJOR CONTRIBUTING CAUSE IS DIFFICULT TO PROVE AND INTERPETED TOO STRICTLY, 3) PRE EXISTING CONDITION HAS BECOME A CONVENIENT. LOOPHOLE FOR INSURANCE COMPANIES, AND 4) THE CLAIMS PROCESS CAN SOMETIMES INVOLVE INTIMIDATION, FALSE INFORMATION AND LENGTHY DELAYS SOME OTHER FACINATING POINTS WERE MADE REGAURDING PENALTIES FOR FALSIFICATION, PROBLEMS WITH IMEs, AND "OWN MOTION" TO NAME A FEW. BUT THE MOST DOMINATE THEME OF THIS HEARING WAS THE PSYCHOLOGICAL HARDSHIP ENDURED BY INJURED WORKERS. ITS HARD ENOUGH TO COPE WITH PHYSICAL PAIN, LET ALONE LOSE YOUR JOB, YOUR SAVINGS AND OFTEN YOUR DIGNITY. WORKERS SHOULD NOT HAVE TO SUFFER UNNEEDED TURMOIL FOR SIMPLY TRYING TO DO THEIR JOBS. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING WE CAN DO TO IMPROVE RIGHTS FOR INJURED WORKERS IS TO SPEAK OUT AND EXPOSE THE ISSUE TO LAWMAKERS AND THE BROADER PUBLIC. FORTUNATELY, OUR HEARING DID GET COVERAGE IN THE STATESMAN JOURNAL..... YOU MAY HAVE HEARD THAT GOVERNOR KITZHABER RELEASED HIS PROPOSED WORKERS' COMPENSATION REFORMS THE DAY AFTER THE HEATRING. HIS IDEAS ARE A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, BUT YOUR ACTIVISM IS CRUCIAL DURING SESSION TO ENSURE THAT THE REMAINING PROBLEMS ARE ADDRESSED. IF YOU WOULD LIKE A COPY OF THE GOVERNORS PROPOSAL, OR ANY OTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT KRISTINE IN THE HOUSE DEMOCRATIC CAUCAS OFFICE (503) 986-1907. AGAIN THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING IN WHAT I VIEW AS THE FIRST OF MANY MORE SUCH HEARINGS TO COME. SINCERELY, DIANA ROSENBAUM..CHAIR, SUBGROUP ON WORKERS' COMPENSATION....HOUSE DEMOCRATIC CAUCAS. PLEASE ACCEPT SPECIAL THANKS FROM REPRESENTATIVES DAN GARDNER, GARY HANSEN, MIKE LEHMAN, KATHY LOWE, BILL MORRISETTE AND SENATOR CLIFF TROW. |
| Fred Johnson |
Re: INJURED WORKERS HEARING (Currently 0 replies)
Posted At 11:13:50 05/19/2000 I think you got the drift, if I was a dog, I would be peaking out the crack in the cage, hoping someone would adoupt me. And the insurance company lackies would be running to their cars with there brief cases over their heads. Trying to avoid questions by the media. The media completely ignores my correspondence. But frequently uses video of someone cheating the system. To be believed you need to be in a wheel chair, and never go out of your house. Never doing anything that could be called normal. I for one do the best I can, and if that's fraud then, let's change the OSHA laws, any Union Carpenter working more than 3 feet off the ground needs to be restrain with a hangman's noose. Less hastle for the insurance company, think of all the money they would save on lawyers and IME exams. |
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