9/11 question

[5string]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110103/hl_nm/us_obama_bill_1

Here it is. Why did we need this? Are not firefighters, policemen, medics and other such folks covered by workers compensation insurance?

By providing workers compensation insurance to workers by their employers, the employee gives up his/her right to sue the employer in tort in exchange for payment for reasonable and necessary medical care for injuries sustained in the course and scope of their employment. Workers compensation also provides payment for lost wages and permament partial, and permanent total disability.

I'm not saying this bill is right or wrong. Just don't understand the need for it. Can anyone explain?

 

[Rogue]

According to the New York Times (back in 2006):

About 290 New York City employees have filed workers' compensation claims stemming from the World Trade Center attack since the two-year deadline for filing such claims passed, city officials said yesterday [in 2006].

City employees filed about 900 claims within the two years after the 9/11 attack, and nearly all, 96.5 percent, were found to be valid and eligible for compensation, the officials said. In two-thirds of those cases, however, no compensation was ever paid, because the workers did not ultimately lose wages or incur major medical costs, they said.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/23/nyregion/23comp.html

 

[Julius_Seizeher]

I haven't looked into it in detail, but it would be political suicide to have anything remotely close to a negative stance towards 9/11 responders.

 

[Plinco]

I have met some of the first responders on the streets of New York. Many of them do have major health problems.