Austin TX The Texas Association of Manufacturers (TAM) today reinforced its opposition to House Bill 1657 a bill that will siphon resources away from Texas workers by crippling the workers compensation system and targeting the employers who employ millions of Texans.
House Bill 1657 would forbid property owners from functioning as their own general contractor which means they could not get the benefit of workers compensation insurance according to Luke Bellsynder executive director of TAM.
HB 1657 discourages property owners from purchasing insurance coverage for all of the workers on their premises and the consequences are devastating" said Bellsnyder. First if fewer employers buy workers comp insurance the system will have less money to help injured workers."
Second and likely the reason personal injury lawyers support this bill HB 1657 strips away workers comp protections for property owners exposing them to lawsuits that would be otherwise covered by workers comp insurance" he said. Creating vulnerabilities and removing protections for employers is an old-standby from the personal injury lawyers playbook."
HB 1657 seeks to overturn the Supreme Court Entergy vs. Summers decision which allows a property owner to serve as a general contractor for purposes of purchasing workers compensation insurance for employees or subcontractors working on his or her premises.
The High Court made the right call by upholding 100 years of legal precedent which provides a rational and logical remedy in the event of a workplace accident" said Bellsynder. Lawmakers should see HB 1657 for what it is: a personal injury lawyer ruse to expose the underbelly of the States employers in an effort to line their own pockets."
Austin TX The Texas Association of Manufacturers (TAM) today reinforced its opposition to House Bill 1657 a bill that will siphon resources away from Texas workers by crippling the workers compensation system and targeting the employers who employ millions of Texans.
House Bill 1657 would forbid property owners from functioning as their own general contractor which means they could not get the benefit of workers compensation insurance according to Luke Bellsynder executive director of TAM.
HB 1657 discourages property owners from purchasing insurance coverage for all of the workers on their premises and the consequences are devastating" said Bellsnyder. First if fewer employers buy workers comp insurance the system will have less money to help injured workers."
Second and likely the reason personal injury lawyers support this bill HB 1657 strips away workers comp protections for property owners exposing them to lawsuits that would be otherwise covered by workers comp insurance" he said. Creating vulnerabilities and removing protections for employers is an old-standby from the personal injury lawyers playbook."
HB 1657 seeks to overturn the Supreme Court Entergy vs. Summers decision which allows a property owner to serve as a general contractor for purposes of purchasing workers compensation insurance for employees or subcontractors working on his or her premises.
The High Court made the right call by upholding 100 years of legal precedent which provides a rational and logical remedy in the event of a workplace accident" said Bellsynder. Lawmakers should see HB 1657 for what it is: a personal injury lawyer ruse to expose the underbelly of the States employers in an effort to line their own pockets."
