Workers’ Compensation has a clear place in society.
Professional athletes, especially football players, often sustain chronic injuries from their play.
The Los Angeles Times article, “Athletes Cash In On California Workers’ Comp,” addresses how many California workers’ compensation judges have held that any professional athlete who plays in the state is eligible to receive benefits from employers.
“Over the last three decades, California’s workers’ compensation system has awarded millions of dollars in benefits for job-related injuries to thousands of professional athletes. The vast majority worked for out-of-state teams; some played as little as one game in the Golden State.
All states allow professional athletes to claim workers’ compensation payments for specific job-related injuries — such as a busted knee, torn tendon or ruptured spinal disc — that happened within their borders. But California is one of the few that provides additional payments for the cumulative effect of injuries that occur over years of playing.” Read More…
California’s particular workers’ compensation regulations appear to have created coverage for players from any team that played in California during their career. Is this good policy?
They should only be covered in proportion to the percentage of games played within California and the injury occurs in CA. The rest would be covered in the state where their team is based.
There’s no sure-fire way to tell if it originated or got worse in CA. These are typically chronic injuries that get worse over time. I think it’s good to have. I read the article last week and I think the myth is that just because these guys make six-seven figures they’re well off and can afford the medical care on their own. Truth is, that money doesn’t last long after retirement and their medical bills are usually sky high. It’s the most violent sport of the major ones, the athletes make the least of the three majors and have the shortest career span. With all the info coming out on brain injuries and other debilitating injuries sustained by football players I am definitely in favor of this law.