The Missouri Senate has passed legislation to limit workers’ compensation lawsuits. Lawmakers made changes to worker’s compensation rules in 2005, which the courts later determined gave employees the right to sue each other over workplace injuries.
Republican Senator Jack Goodman of Lawrence County says his bill would eliminate that option.
“That was an unintended consequence," Goodman said. "And I wanted to correct that mistake so that workers in the workplace will again be protected from that liability but the injured worker would still have the protections of the workers’ compensation system.”
Language that addressed diseases contracted on the job was removed from the final version of the bill. It’s now before the Missouri House, which has until 6 p.m. to pass it – so far it hasn’t.
