Have you ever been injured at work? I have and the process of getting diagnosis and treatment was undermined by a nightmare adjudication: Workers' Compensation System. I went to hearing after hearing at which (over & over) my employer's insurer didn't show up, lost time from work and eventually lost interest and gave up. But I never thought of writing about the nightmare -- which I guess underscores a difference between great reporters and me.

Steve Greenhouse, labor reporter for the New York Times and recently the author of "The Big Squeeze" an excellent book about the methods employers and banks have extracted money from the rest of us, looked at the chaos called Workers' Compensation (you call this a "system?"). He and N. R. Kleinfeld (who has reported dozens of ground-breaking stories) have told about it in a series of, for me, stirring articles which have been appearing for the last few days in the New York Times.

A World of Hurt: Meatball Justice which appeared Monday told my story and those of many I know who have tried to file compensation cases.  read more »