Workers’ comp was designed for businesses

Re “Workers’ Comp Gains Haven’t Eased the Pain of Tough Cases,” Oct. 17

The statement that “for the majority of people hurt on the job, the overhauled workers’ compensation system works” is at odds with reality.

Under this so-called reform, obtaining even the most mundane form of treatment has become a process that is sadly akin to pulling badly impacted teeth. I had to proceed to a full-blown trial just to obtain physical therapy for a client who had lost both arms and both legs -- and he was lucky.

If his injury had occurred in 2004 or later, he would have been limited to 26 physical therapy sessions. Politics replaced sound medicine.

This reform was designed to line the pockets of wealthy insurance industry CEOs at the expense of working people. The reality is that if you are someone who lives from paycheck to paycheck, workers’ compensation reform leaves you one serious injury away from utter financial ruin.

ERNEST A. CANNING

Thousand Oaks

The writer is an attorney who has practiced extensively in the field of workers’ compensation.

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Holding the fifth place for having the nation’s highest workers’ compensation premium offers no cause for rejoicing. As I see it, the major problem lies in the lack of regulation over the insurers that have stolen a disproportionate portion of the savings from the 2004 reforms.

The solution to some of the glitches described in your article may be in setting up an ombudsman office for the workers’ compensation system similar to that established by the Department of Managed Care.

There will never be any system that can be fair to everyone. However, we can ease the pain of these exceptional cases by making it possible for the injured to gain fast access to medical care appropriate for their conditions.

JOHN T. CHIU

Newport Beach

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Where did The Times get the idea that workers’ compensation was first set up to benefit the worker?

Anybody who’s gone to law school in California knows that it was set up to benefit the business person -- who had been complaining bitterly that the worker was constantly suing for damages because of work-related injuries and that it was too much to pay.

Now, the business person still thinks it’s too much to pay -- and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger steps in to relieve the purportedly horrible burden on business. As usual, the business person does not want to pay for what he breaks, even when what’s broken is another person.

PETER LIPPMAN

Reno