Soon after Howard Johnson suffered a spinal cord injury in October 2015 while working as a delivery driver for U.S. Food Service, he suffered a financial one: His workers’ compensation award was nearly $47,000 less than what he would have received if the injury had occurred a year earlier. Johnson hurt himself while trying to dislodge a partially frozen trailer door and sought remedy through the Kansas Workers’ Compensation Act — the only option for employees hurt at work. The significant difference in his compensation was the result of a change in the guidelines doctors follow to assess impairment, attorneys said. A new state law adopted the Sixth Edition of American Medical Association Guides, rather than the previous Fourth Edition.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
