How America Let Its Workers' Compensation System Fail

This analysis examines the systemic failure of the U.S. workers' compensation system, focusing on the engineered stone countertop industry where workers cutting quartz countertops develop deadly silicosis from silica dust. In California alone, over 500 workers have been sickened, at least 30 have died, and more than 100 have undergone or await lung transplants. A study found that only 8 out of 114 affected workers received wage loss or medical benefits, with taxpayers subsidizing employer costs through Medicaid. The article traces the system's origins to early 20th-century reforms following the Triangle Shirtwaist fire, describing the 'grand bargain' where workers gave up the right to sue in exchange for guaranteed benefits. It argues that this bargain now delivers meager benefits to some and nothing to many, especially those with occupational illnesses, while failing to incentivize injury prevention.