Tens of Thousands of California Work Injuries Go Unreported

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By Adam Dombchik
California Applicants' Attorneys Association

A new U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) report finding that on-the-job injuries often go unreported likely means that tens of thousands of California work injuries go unreported each year.

It is a sad state of affairs that affects working Californians and the taxpayers of California when workers' compensation insurance coverage is not being afforded to injured workers for work injuries because workers and even employers are afraid to report the injuries. Instead of being covered under the workers' compensation insurance policies, these injuries are most often treated either under group health or public health insurance. That means insurers avoid legitimate medical and disability claims, while collecting insurance premiums, and either the taxpayers or the group insurer gets stuck with the bill.
 
Workers' compensation claim frequency has steadily declined since 1990, setting a new record low every year for 12 years. It dropped nearly 50% between 2004 and 2007 alone. The number of claims per 1,000 workers has dropped from 27.1 claims in 2002 to only 14.7 claims in 2007.

Half of on-the-job injury claims have disappeared, and it's not because no one is getting injured at work. It is because workers despair over getting needed medical care and fair disability compensation for their injuries. The system is stacked against them, and they are avoiding it whenever possible.

First is safety, which will prevent some injuries.  Second, is properly educating workers and employers of the appropriateness and requirement of filing a claim for benefits when there is a legitimate work injury.
 
In addition to the factors cited in the GAO report – fear of increased insurance premiums, safety inspections or loss of incentives for safe work records – that California's deep cuts in medical care and disability compensation have driven workers out of the workers' compensation system and onto group health and public insurance program, and benefits programs.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Adam Dombchik is a partner in the law firm of Gordon, Edelstein, Krepack, Grant, Felton&Goldstein, and serves as President of the California Applicants' Attorneys Association, a professional association dedicated to the protection of rights and benefits of California's injured and disabled workers and their families.