11/05/24
April 05, 2010
700 NFL Players Pursue Workers Comp Cases in California: A worker's compensation case filed by the wife of former NFL offensive lineman Ralph Wenzel, who lives in an assisted-living facility in Maryland at age 67 suffering from dementia, demonstrates how receptive the state of California's laws are to former NFL players. The New York Times reports, "California's workers' compensation system provides a unique, and relatively unknown, haven for retired professional athletes among the 50 states, allowing hundreds of long-retired veterans each year to file claims for injuries sustained decades before. Players need not have played for California teams or be residents of the state; they had to participate in just one game in the state to be eligible to receive lifetime medical care for their injuries from the teams and their insurance carriers."
That's one way to get the league to pay medical care for former NFL players brain injuries that the league doesn't officially admit could happen as a result of playing football.
posted by yzelda4045 at 09:13 AM on April 06, 2010
I believe I heard that Joe Montana was collecting WC in Ca. Like he needs the money and the Ca. bank is busted. A good thing going too far?
posted by wildbill1 at 01:46 PM on April 06, 2010
I'm a resident of California and this is news to me. We can't get our critical roads and levies repaired, our schools are falling apart, we can't balance the state budget, and we cut medical care for the poor and elderly. But we can pay for medical care for a football player who isn't even a resident. I have some empathy for the players as a fan, but this is pretty fucked up as a tax payer!
posted by irunfromclones at 05:15 PM on April 06, 2010
I think worker's comp is paid for by insurance that employers are required to have. So as a California resident, you're not paying for the health costs of these former NFL players.
posted by rcade at 05:28 PM on April 06, 2010
Wow... That's amazing!