S.B. 45 is Not Fair to Ohio’s Injured Workers
Posted: August, 1997
S.B. 45 hurts Ohio’s injured workers by drastically reducing workers’ compensation.
S.B. 45 eliminates certain work-caused claims from workers’ compensation coverage. It limits the time all claims remain open. It eliminates consideration of the effect of injuries on the injured worker and eliminates the opportunity to offer evidence. It prevents injured workers from submitting evidence.
Here is some of what S.B. 45 does:
- Reduces the time a claim remains open, for payment of compensation AND MEDICAL BENEFITS, from 10 years to 5 years;
- Automatically removes occupational diseases from eligibility for workers’ compensation unless the disease is “characteristic of or peculiar to a particular industrial process, trade or occupation;”
- Automatically removes all occupational diseases which “would have arisen without the occupational exposure” from from workers’ compensation coverage — even if the occupational exposure caused the disease;
- Virtually eliminates permanent total compensation by rejecting all disability information, except age, from consideration;
- Restricts workers from presenting evidence on permanent partial awards, so that hearings are based on only the examination of the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation hired doctors;
- Limits Bureau of Workers’ Compensation doctors to using the AMERICAN MEDICAL GUIDES TO EVALUATE IMPAIRMENT AND BASING THE AWARD on those Guides, disregarding the American Medical Association warning against using the Guides to determine the award;
- Makes records of the Safety and Hygiene Division of the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation SECRET RECORDS — hiding important workplace safety information.
The election is on November 4, 1997. Let’s reject S.B. 45. S.B. 45 is not fair to Ohio’s injured workers.
Vote NO on ISSUE 2 Reject S.B. 45