Workers Comp:
Workers' compensation is the oldest social insurance program; it was adopted in most states, including California, during
the second decade of the 20th century. It is a no-fault system, meaning that injured employees need not prove the injury was someone else's fault in order to receive workers' compensation benefits for an on-the-job injury.
The workers' compensation system is premised on a trade-off between employees and employers -- employees are supposed to promptly receive the limited statutory workers' compensation benefits for on-the-job injuries, and in return, the limited workers'
compensation benefits are the exclusive remedy for injured employees against their employer, even when the employer negligently caused the injury.
This no-fault structure was designed to -- and in fact did -- eliminate the then prevalent litigation over whether employers were negligent in causing workers' injuries. Litigation is now over other issues, such as whether the injury was sustained
on-the-job or how much in benefits an injured worker is entitled to receive.
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