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Calif. Workers' Comp Victory Comes at a Cost for Professional Sports Leagues

The high-profile battle over a legislation allowing professional athletes to receive workers' comp in Calif. caused thousands of athletes to file claims before the deadline, leaving leagues to deal with the costs.

By staff Writer | Updated on February 05, 2014
The family of Hall of Fame tight end John Mackey, who died in 2011 after struggling with dementia, filed a claim days before the Calif. bill took effect. (AP Photo)

Last fall, California Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill limiting professional athletes from receiving workers’ compensation benefits in California if they live and play predominantly outside the state. The bill was proposed to prevent out-of-state athletes from “unfairly targeting” California’s workers’ comp system. The top U.S. professional sports leagues, led by the NFL, supported the law, believing it could save them from exposure to countless claims from injured athletes.

However, what should have been a victory for the leagues is coming at a cost, according to The LA Times. Publicity from the high-profile battle over the legislation prompted players from around the country to file more than 1,000 injury claims just prior to a September deadline. According to the article, such as huge influx could cost the leagues hundreds of millions of dollars to resolve.

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