Letters: Who should pay for injured athletes?
Re “A game changer,” Aug. 31
AB 1309, the bill in California that would drastically limit professional sports leagues’ liability for workers’ compensation claims, seemed to make sense until I read this fact buried deep in the article: that out-of-state athletes have accounted for only one-half of 1% of all workers’ comp filings since 2006.
These claims are paid with taxpayer money, and under AB 1309, out-of-state workers in other professions would still be eligible to file claims in California.
While it’s touching that Major League Baseball feels that these claims are a “drain” on the state, it’s clear that’s not the case. The bill is a specialized carve-out for billion-dollar businesses, something that is far too common in California and nationally.
Randy Steinberg
Beverly Hills
California shouldn’t have to handle claims made by athletes who haven’t played primarily in California. It’s not our problem.
As for some athletes’ claims that the NFL concealed evidence of the long-term dangers of concussions, that’s like saying boxing officials must remind boxers that getting punched in the face can cause headaches. If it never dawned on these players that colliding with one another might be harmful to their health, they certainly do have mental problems.
Hal Rothberg
Calabasas
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