Governor Rick Snyder has recently signed into law a package of bills amending Michigan’s workers’ compensation laws. The bills were spurred by the experience of Delphi Co. employees who were denied benefits following the company’s bankruptcy in 2005. While some of the law’s provisions are specifically geared towards Delphi’s former employees, the majority of the legislation is meant to prevent such a situation from occurring in the future.
The law’s main accomplishment was establishing a private employers’ security fund. By pooling resources, private employers will be able to pay workers’ compensation benefits to their employees even if they go bankrupt or are otherwise unable to pay. This is certainly good news for Saginaw area employees.
Recouping money for lost wages, medical expenses and reduced earning capacity in the event of an injury is too often taken for granted by many local employees. Those injured on the job, however, can attest that recovering all of the benefits they are entitled to is not always as automatic as it may seem.
Rather, legislative quirks, regulatory nuances and contractual relationships come together to muddy the waters and put a workers’ benefits in doubt. Given the bottom line nature of contemporary society, there are forces which actively seek to lessen the benefits an injured employee receives.
Given such a tumultuous environment, injured workers are urged to reach out to a local workers’ comp expert. Saginaw, for instance, has experienced workers compensation lawyers that will fight for a workers’ right to maximum benefits. These experts level the playing field by counteracting the forces seeking to lower a workers’ recovery. Their expertise has proven to be the difference in ensuring an injured worker does not leave benefits on the table.
Source: WorkersCompensation.com, “MI Governor Signs Legislation Protecting Workers Compensation Benefits,” June 30, 2014