According to a Consumer Reports article, in the 1970's, President Nixon created the National Commission on State Workmen's Compensation Laws to study the terribly-low benefits being given to disabled workers. The committee recommended every state be required to pay 2/3 of the salary of any worker who is totally disabled. To this day, there are still 17 states who don't do this for people with no other options for income. Workers compensation not only protects employees, it protects employers in very litigious times.