Saturday, September 05, 2009

Yamada's Workman's Compensation Bill

http://keepingitreal.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341c68e353ef0105362cebf1970b-800wi



You might ask yourself, what is this? and why should I care?This is a bill sponsored by Assemblywoman Mariko Yamada, D-Solano, that would change rules regarding worke'rs compensation death benefits in the wake of the Taneka Talley Case.

The bill passed off the Assembly floor Monday and now heads to the governor's desk for his consideration.

Based on a court-ordered psychiatrist's report that said her killer had attacked Talley because she was black, the store's insurer denied the workers' compensation death benefits to Talley's surviving 11-year-old son. The insurer claimed that, because the killing was racially motivated, it was not subject to a workers' compensation claim.

Following a public outcry and widespread media coverage, Dollar Tree's insurance company paid death benefits to the family nearly three years after Talley's death.

Can you imagine your love one being gunned down because of the color of their skin? Well, that exactly what happened to Taneka Tally. They fact the insurance company did not want to honor the claim was a travesty.

2 comments:

clnmike said...

I remember this story, it was heart breaking. They should have been put up a bill about this.

SjP said...

I'd not heard of this case before. But, I'm having a hard time understanding why a bill was necessary for the payment of the death benefit. Just what type of "killing" qualifies a victims family for death benefits...