They wonder how they can possibly compete with companies from other states and nations where workers compensation is cheaper. They chafe under a mountain of often-conflicting regulations piled on them by state legislators. Doctors and other medical professionals resent claims adjusters who second-guess their treatment recommendations. They worry that they won't get paid. They despair over the paperwork.
Lawyers resent the ever-tightening legislative screws that regulate their services and their fees.
True, many of California's injured workers will sail through the program without difficulty. They will discover difficulties in many subtle and surprising ways. Many will slam into a wall of suspicion and distrust that will paralyze them with shame and frustration and delay their recovery. Eventually, many will have to turn to taxpayer-funded safety nets such as State Disability Insurance, Social Security, food stamps and Medicare to get by. That wasn't how it was supposed to be.