System Users Push Bill to Make Settlements Easier

Claimants attorneys and Arizona employers are backing a bill that could make it easier for workers to take a lump sum payment for waiving the right to lifetime medical treatment for occupational injuries. Senate Bill 1100, by Sen. Karen Fann, R-Prescott, would loosen the standards the commission uses to determine that a so-called full-and-final settlement is “fair and reasonable to the employee” before approving the deal. The Senate Committee on Commerce and Public Safety on Monday voted 8-0 to pass the bill, clearing it for a vote by the full Senate. Fann last year...