What Happens to The “New Illegals” when They Get Hurt at Work?

I represent workers who sustain an injury in Georgia. I do not discriminate between “illegal” workers and legal workers. Georgia law in workers’ compensation matters holds everyone equal. If you are injured at work, you are eligible for medical care and weekly disability checks while you are disabled.

What I see about to happen is an increasingly large and unprecedented number of “new” illegals flooding the labor market who are willing to work for much lower wages than the “older and more established illegals.” Even more harmful is that many employers are willing to put the “new” illegals into much riskier jobs, pushing them to more serious and more frequent injuries.

There is no stopping this trend. It began with Biden’s disastrous border policies-“let them all surge to the USA.” The employers who perform heavy duty work, dangerous work, will be salivating over a work force they can pay less and push them twice as hard. I have talked to many illegals who have been clients, and they are quick to say they are afraid to report a job injury because they will lose their jobs-their lifeline to feed their families.

The downward force of a cheap labor market is bad for all workers. When these “new illegals” are willing to work for $7.50 per hour as opposed to $12 or $15 per hour, it forces all laborers to work for less. The prohibited effects of our current inflation will place tremendous burdens on the lower class of workers. Who knows, maybe they will come to the conclusion that their dreams of working in America are not worth the price they are paying and the hard work they are doing.

I see no changes on the horizon unless, somehow there will be a mass deportation of many of the “new and old” illegals. How would that happen, I don’t know. I am afraid all 10 million who have recently crossed the border illegally will be permanent welfare recipients from either city, state or the federal government. Very few will find quality employment. Most of them who find work will be quite frustrated or injured.

Then they hire me, and I file an injury claims against the large insurance companies and the employers. The “other side” hires an insurance attorney. Each case slowly moves through discovery, litigation and then trial or a settlement. The lawyers, both representing the disabled and the lawyer representing the penny-pinching insurers and employers will all come out winners. The workers are permanently disabled, both physically and economically. But by that time, there are 5-10-20 more “new illegals” ready to try their best to do the job that disabled their friends and acquaintances. The workers are expendable. They will become “a dime a dozen.”

How does this merry-go-round stop? Safety, safety, training in English and a re-working of the very difficult jobs. All this and more are needed to reduce the number of serious injuries happening every day.