www.sacbee.com - Families of farmworkers killed in crash to receive compensation

[Guest guest]

Hello,

The following story from the Sacramento Bee (http://www.sacbee.com)

was sent to you by: Don Villarejo (donfarm@...).

And Don Villarejo had this to say:

Hi Everyone - This article reports on a very important decision

of the Workers Compensation Insurance Appeals Board. The

decision holds the farmer and his labor contractor fully

liable for the accident in which 13 farm workers died while

being transported from the job in a labor van operated by

the labor contractor.

You can this story in it entirety on the web at:

http://www.sacbee.com/state_wire/story/1735385p-1815232c.html

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Families of farmworkers killed in crash to receive compensation

FRESNO, Calif. (AP) - The families of 13 tomato pickers killed

on their way home from work and two survivors are eligible

for more than $2 million after a judge ruled that their commute

was covered under workers' compensation.

In a decision made public Friday by the Worker Compensation

Appeals Board, a judge ruled that the farmworkers were exceptions

to a " going and coming " rule that prevents commuters from

collecting workers' comp benefits.

Green Valley Ag, a farm labor contractor, and Terra

Farms were found liable to pay workers' comp claims and death

benefits to the victims of the Aug. 9, 1999 crash in Five

Points, west of Fresno.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

This article is protected by copyright and should not be

printed or distributed for anything except personal use.