Application of Compensation Insurance

b H. Ev/ERETT CHaRLTON

of the Behrendt Leay Co., Los 'lngeles

'fhe idea of supplying specific payments to compensate an employee for personal injury is very modern. In California the application of this idea dates back only a brief ten years. In the year 1913 the State Legislature tpassed the original Workmen's Compensation Insurance and Safety Act, which is described in the Statute as Chapter 176 of. the Laws of 1913. Under this act the id,ea th,at injuries of individuals should be borne by society as a whole irrespective of the fault of any party was declared to be the social public policy of the people of the State of Cal'ifornia.

This Compensation act is administered by a Commission of three men appointed by the Governor, who are instructed to so administer the act as to accomplish "substantial justice expeditiously, inexpensively, and without incumbrance of any character." The act undertakes to, accomplish a complete system to provide com'fort, health, safety and general welfare for all employees and their dependents. Tire actual provisions of the law have been subject to amendmenf at each session of the Legislature since 1913. These amendments in the main are of a minor character, the principal changes bein$ to extend the law so that instead of an inlured employee Laving to stand the expense of the first fourteen davs of idleness, the time was first reduced to ten days and now stands at seven days. The los-s an- employee foifeits to the common cause arising out of his ,injury is the loss of earning power for the first seven days of his disability. Commencing on the eighth d1y andl thereafter each week in advance he must receive from :his employer