CLEA is Ramping Up

The recent passage of the new workers' compensation laws are bringing new revelation to the administrators at CLEA. Labor Code 4850 benefits and Temporary Disability benefits will be greatly curtailed along with some suprising and unexpected retirements for our members. Permanent Disability (PD) benefits will be reduced as well as an injured workers ability to receive proper medical treatment and medical reports. The Employers have a great deal of power under the new law.
Apportionment will open some eyes. For example a firefighter who suffers many incidents of smoke inhilation over his/her career and just happens to be a smoker, will have a portion of the disability attributed to the job, and another to his smoking habit. It may be 80% from smoking and 20% from the job. This means that the PD award will be reduced by 80%. Nice for the employer, not so nice for the injured worker (or his legal counsel).