Work Comp $'s at work

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A report finds California's workers' compensation system has awarded millions of dollars in benefits for job-related injuries to thousands of professional athletes, including many who played for out-of-state teams.

The Los Angeles Times reports (http://lat.ms/XLiSkD ) sports leagues and their insurers are working to stop the practice, which has paid an estimated $747 million to about 4,500 players since the early 1980s.

Among them, NBA star Moses Malone was awarded $155,000 and Dallas Cowboys great Michael Irvin received $249,000.

The athletes are taking advantage of a provision in state law that provides payments for the cumulative effect of injuries over years of playing.

The newspaper reports some of the athletes played as little as one game in California.

The benefits usually come as lump-sum payments but sometimes provide lifetime medical services

as woody alluded to, the other side of this "coin" and not mentioned in the article, is the rate these teams paid. Maybe they pay more than their fair share. It was not mentioned

They should raise their rates then right?? How bout 75%. I'd never see my workers again if they got a lump sum of $250k.

I remember awhile back that the state of Washington, the only WC carrier in the state, listed the categories with the highest rates. Roofing was third behind logging and professional football players. The rate they would had to pay would be at least 50% of salary, so it wouldn't have been cheap. Since Paul Allen bought the Seahawks though, I think they went to self-insurance though, which is allowed if you post enough money up front and are a big company.

Why should the teams pay when the state will?