The Missouri Senate has overridden a veto from Governor Jay Nixon concerning the states worker’s compensation laws. Governor Nixon had vetoed a bill last month that would have imposed bans on some lawsuits regarding workplace injuries. The Senate voted to overturn this veto with a 24-9 vote, claiming that the ban would cause significant legal problems throughout the state. After overriding the veto from Governor Nixon, state legislators passed a bill that would stop employees from suing their co-workers for injuries they receive whilst working. This is not the only ban introduced by the measure, however.
The bill will also stop employees from filing a lawsuit against their employer for diseases and other ailments acquired while working, such as lung cancer and carpal tunnel syndrome. While this may seem like bad news for employees in the state, the bill enables such ailments to be covered by Missouri insurance workers compensation system rather than be tied up in costly and time consuming litigation. The state’s Senate claims that this is a major victory for consumers.
Critics of the measure claim that it is not fair for workers to be forced to rely on the state’s worker’s compensation system. These critics suggest that the states laws had allowed these people to pursue “real” justice for themselves and their families. Proponents of the measure note that worker’s compensation is meant to provide coverage for all the problems an employee may have and not a select few that an insurance company would prefer to deal with.
