Some people never learn.
Having been told in no uncertain terms to take a hike by the S.C. Supreme Court, the Palmetto State’s top Ambulance Chaser has filed yet another frivolous federal lawsuit against Gov. Mark Sanford and several unnamed parties this month seeking to prevent objective standards from being applied in workers’ compensation cases.
In this latest suit, Greenville, S.C. Attorney Kathryn Williams alleges a vast, right-wing conspiracy by the Governor and multiple third parties to … wait for it … make South Carolina more competitive for jobs, capital investment and higher income levels.
Apparently, the Ambulance Chaser Lobby has a problem with those three things – and with Workers’ Compensation Commissioners actually following the law for a change, which would curtail the exorbitant judgments won by workers’ compensation attorneys and help lower insurance premiums for thousands of small businesses.
Last year, thanks to an organized anti-business effort in the General Assembly led by Rep. Harry Cato (a longtime “confident” of Williams), the governor instructed appointees on South Carolina’s Workers’ Compensation Commission to start applying objective standards to workers’ comp awards instead of arbitrarily handing out multi-million dollar settlements.
The Ambulance Chaser lobby sued him, not surprisingly, and a settlement was reached earlier this year that upheld the governor’s action.
Unfortunately, South Carolina has yet to mandate objective standards legislatively, which would eliminate these costly lawsuits once and for all and dramatically enhance our state’s competitive position for existing businesses as well as businesses looking to relocate to our state.
Why hasn’t the General Assembly done that?
It’s simple, really. Rep. Cato is a very powerful lawmaker, and his tight relationship with Williams has kept these reforms bottled up on the House Labor, Commerce and Industry (LCI) committee.
Sadly, it appears that reform is even less likely to happen this coming year as House Speaker Bobby Harrell is pushing a rules change that will allow him to appoint Rep. Bill Sandifer as the new chairman of the LCI committee.
One of the most left-leaning members of the General Assembly, Sandifer is an ardent opponent of objective standards for workers’ comp.
So yeah … don’t be surprised to see our legislative leaders (many of them making bank off of workers’ comp judgments) continue to pad their pockets while our economy keeps hemmoraging jobs and investment.
By BIN News Editorial Staff November 22, 2008 at 5:56 pm
This is an amazing post from the biggest leach in SC politics: sic(k) willie.
He is good at “slinging chitterlings,” but all that does is soil all the people standing around watching. Reading this blog makes us need to take a bath.
BIN News Editorial Staff
Flair and Balanced, Always!
By If the facts don't work in your favor, sure, just make something up November 22, 2008 at 9:13 pm
“The Ambulance Chaser lobby sued him, not surprisingly, and a settlement was reached earlier this year that upheld the governor’s action.” — That is completely innacurate. The Supreme Court said that the governor does not have the constitutional authority to change laws with an executive order. I think you need to read the court’s order and the governor’s newly-issued executive order admitting its expensive mistake. The only winners here are the attorneys at Nelson Mullins.
By Carpetbagger November 22, 2008 at 9:19 pm
“Objective standards”= SC workers get screwed. NY insurance companies get richer. Less money in SC
It is a false assumption that rates will go down in any substantial way if these standards that objectively screw SC workers happen.
The only businesses that this helps in any real way are ones not located in SC. Not even taking into fairness into consideration, this is bad for the SC economy. SC residents gets less Northern money that they deserve, yet rates for SC businesses stay the same.
Nice going
Labeling this as “pro business” is a sham, and only applies to yanks.
By yo Mama November 23, 2008 at 1:29 am
Harrell=Pussy
Williams=whateva gets $
Cato=pimp
By Back Row Bum November 23, 2008 at 8:25 am
Workers would get their awards just like today. They would get what they’re owed, not what their slick attorney can swindle out of a commissioner. Your award would no longer depend on which commissioner or which lawyer you hired. A fair deal for workers and businesses.
By GnuBerry November 23, 2008 at 10:39 pm
This is left-leaning, hemmoraging, and exorbitant.
By imright November 24, 2008 at 8:20 am
Back Row Bum -
Awards would then depend entirely on the doctor with whom the insurance company makes the injured worker treat. Since there is an entire industry of doctors who do nothing but “evaluations” for insurance companies, you make a guess as to how those ratings generally come out.
To be fair, there are also whores on the other side. The point is that you cannot make the assumption that the playing field is level.
Further, since probably 90-95% of cases are settled without a Commissioner’s involvement, your comments ultimately prove to be both dumb and ignorant.
By louise November 24, 2008 at 8:39 am
Thanks for the attorney TIP Fits.