A History of Workers’ Compensation

The system of workers’ compensation developed in the twentieth century as our nation shifted from an agricultural economy to an industrial economy, where dangerous factory machinery made workplace injury a common problem. In 1902, Maryland became the first state to address this issue by passing a law requiring employers to provide for workers’ compensation. The first federal requirement was passed in 1906 under President Roosevelt.

Before Workers’ Compensation

Before workers’ compensation was developed, employers were generally not considered responsible for the injuries employees must sustain under normal conditions. The only way that a worker could win compensation for a workplace injury was to demonstrate that some act of criminal negligence or malice on behalf of the employer had directly caused his or her injuries.

The problem was that many employees needed assistance paying their medical bills, especially considering that injuries often lead workers to miss work and therefore wages. As more and more workers filed lawsuits to win compensation from their employers, the court systems quickly became bogged down. Eventually, the costs to employers, workers, and state governments made it clear that a more efficient system was needed.

The Goals of Workers’ Compensation

The workers’ compensation system was here to stay by 1911. Its goals then and now are:

• Provide a reasonable income to injured workers, or payment to deceased workers’ families
• Provide a quick remedy to workers’ personal injury litigation
• Relieve charities of the cost of treating workplace injuries
• Minimize the costs of workplace injury litigation
• Provide an incentive for employers to maximize workplace safety
• Promote detailed study of the causes of accidents.

Contact a Charleston Workers’ Compensation Attorney

For more information about workers’ compensation in the state of South Carolina, contact the Charleston workers’ compensation attorneys of the Steinberg Law Firm.