HELP US STOP THE ATTACK ON WORKERS’ COMPENSATION!
Below are several ways you can stand with us in opposition against these changes:
Sign these two petitions to make your voice known-Petition from AFL-CIO and Petition at MoveOn.org
Mail this postcard to the NYS Workers’ Compensation Board with a message to help you stand up for your rights.
Email your state senator stating your opposition to the changes. If you don’t know who your senator is, click here for the Senate’s website to find out.
THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD ENDS OCTOBER 23RD.
Follow the above methods to protect your rights before the comment period is over.
This past April, the New York State Worker’s Compensation Board was given the green-light to draft changes to the way payments are calculated for permanent injuries to extremities (Schedule Loss of Use evaluations). These suggestions were completed September 1st, and they ultimately resulted in drastic cuts to claimant’s benefits and, in many cases, elimination of any payment at all beyond the payment for lost time, even in cases where a fracture is sustained or surgery is necessary.
Sustaining a permanent work injury is already a stressful and life changing situation. The current benefit calculations very often don’t even compensate an injured worker adequately for what they have lost both physically and economically. Now, the NYS Workers’ Compensation Board and the New York Business community have just taken the next step in making it that much more difficult for claimant’s to get back up on their feet.
These guidelines call for the removal of rights that are intrinsic to the purpose of Worker’s Compensation Law. On top of drastic cuts to benefits during recovery, the guidelines provide greater discretion to the employers and IMEs. This will essentially create an environment of exploitation by those who oversee the injured party. These guidelines were not made in the interest of injured workers, and go against the foundation of what this law is supposed to do.
These proposed regulation and guideline changes are not only an egregious attempt to sharply reduce and/ or eliminate compensation awards to our injured members, they would also strip tens of thousands of injured workers of very important protections and due process rights by affording the employer/carrier doctors the ability to question the worker on non-medical issues, with associated penalties for “failure to comply” with the doctors’ inquiries. This is completely contrary to the purposes and intent of the NYS Workers Compensation Law, a law which has been in existence for over 100 years and was designed to protect those very same injured workers.
It is important to remember that, with the passing of the NYS Workers Compensation Law, the right of injured workers to sue their employers in cases of permanent injury was eliminated in exchange for a system which provides fair compensation for lost time and especially for permanent loss of functioning in extremity injuries. Should these new regulations be approved, our injured members will be left with little or no recourse when they sustain permanent loss of functioning of extremities while performing their work activities.
If adopted, these proposed regulation and guideline changes will certainly adversely affect our members. As a result, I implore you to take any and all action to help stop these proposals from taking effect.
Workers Compensation is a stressful time.,not only are you dealing with pain and suffering,,,and even with TTD payments there is a significant hardship,,IME are stressful,,and favorable to the carrier. Every turn to get treatment is met with a roadblock.Potential surgery is put on hold for years..A injured party can have doctors,,and diagnostic reports to prove there case,,but a IME,can prolong decisions..seems to be no moral clause in these doctors..Things are tough enough with the workers comp law as it is now,,please stop these new proposals. Because workers get injured,,and must be not changed…please don’t change the system to favor the carriers anymore than they have already.