Comment from Douglas Malek, legal

The proposed change to the federal workers' compensation statute is a travesty to the American public. This is already such a burdensome practice as there has been so many hurdles that the federal government has created in essentially making it so burdensome for attorneys to represent injured federal employees to the extent that these injured workers are substantially deprived of legal representation. If attorneys are not representing these injured workers, then who is? What happens if you are injured while working for the federal government--I pray that this scenario does not befall you. By eliminating contingency fee agreements it will be impossible for a lawyer to receive compensation via representation of an injured federal employee. I hope that this is not, but unfortunately know that this is the intended purpose of the proposed rule change. That is, by making it financially impossible for lawyers to represent injured workers, these unrepresented injured workers will be so deprived of their rights that the federal government will not be required to pay any compensation or pay for any medical benefits for these injured workers. I see a similar analogy in the military context. That is, the federal government is very open to benefiting from the service of others, but once these individuals that sacrificed themselves for this country sustain a debilitating injury, let's deny their claim. It is a shame. What does this country truly stand for? I am not sure if much of anything these days except profit and greed.