W.Va. Legislature Takes Up Workers' Comp Changes

摘要

The West Virginia State Legislature began a special session at 5 p.m. yesterday (June 10) with the intention of debating a set of sweeping changes to the state's workers' compensation program (CD 5/14/03). West Virginia has had serious financial problems in meeting its workers' compensation obligations, and the state's Workers' Compensation Division has suggested that the fund for workers' comp may go bankrupt if nothing is done. Some of the blame for the financial crisis has been attributed to coal companies, who were accused of avoiding payments by using contractors who then went bankrupt. Many of the largest offenders have since settled with the state on outstanding balances (CD 10/3/01; 3/ 9/01). The state's reliance on an aging workforce in declining heavy industries has also left the workers' compensation program dangerously underfunded.