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The workers' compensation system: worker friend or foe?
1Social and Behavioral Sciences Department, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts 02118-2394, USA. lstrunin@bu.edu
American Journal of Industrial Medicine
|March 19, 2004
Summary
Most injured workers find the workers' compensation system frustrating, despite its purpose to help. Negative experiences stem from mistrust, delays, and denied benefits, potentially discouraging claims.
Area of Science:
- Occupational Health
- Socioeconomics
- Public Health Policy
Background:
- The workers' compensation system aims to support employees with significant medical costs and lost income.
- This study investigates the experiences of workers interacting with state workers' compensation systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare and contrast how injured workers in Florida and Wisconsin perceive their interactions with the workers' compensation system.
- To identify commonalities and divergences in these experiences.
Main Methods:
- Ethnographic, open-ended interviews were conducted with 204 workers in Florida and 198 workers in Wisconsin.
- Participants had sustained back injuries in 1990 and received temporary disability benefits, permanent disability benefits, or settlements.
Main Results:
- While some interactions were positive, most respondents in both states reported cumbersome, frustrating, and demeaning experiences.
- The majority of injured workers encountered significant difficulties within the system.
Conclusions:
- Negative experiences are attributed to mistrust, stigmatization, delayed payments, and benefit denials by insurers.
- These systemic issues increase the burden on injured workers and may deter eligible individuals from seeking benefits.