Workers' Compensation

People (humans) get hurt on the job. No, your boss making fun of your new haircut in the middle of a presentation that could make or break your job doesn’t count (not that we’re saying it shouldn’t—we feel you). We’re talking about breaking bones, backs, and many other unpleasurable things that we’d rather not list. We trust your imagination.

When a worker gets injured in the US, they can submit a claim for workers’ compensation. Workers' compensation is a public system that pays money to workers who have become injured or disabled while on the job. It can help put food on the table and pay medical bills. Just because workers’ comp is a thing doesn’t mean it’s easy to get. You have to prove things, like that you were injured on the job rather than on your Saturday boating day. You also can’t sue your employer if you want workers’ comp—it’s a one-or-the-other type of thing.

Workers' comp is rife with fraud, derelicts, and bums. A slurry of The Simpsons episodes covered it; Bart had mastered the ruse. The industry is massive; like, a trillion bucks a year massive. It didn't exist 100 years ago. Today, it may "over exist."