Firm denies workers' comp in racial killing

[Newsjock]

Source: San Francisco Chronicle

Taneka Talley was stabbed to death in March 2006 while she was working as a clerk at a Dollar Tree store in Fairfield. Her killer's only motive, prosecutors say, is that she was African American.

That's also the reason the store's workers' compensation insurer is denying $250,000 in death benefits to Talley's 11-year-old son.

The boy's grandmother, the child's legal guardian, said Specialty Risk Services is taking the position that a racially motivated killing is personal, not work-related - even though the man charged with killing Talley had never met her before. The insurance company, Dollar Tree and their lawyers aren't talking publicly about the case but are defending their position before a state appeals board that hears workers' compensation disputes.

... The opposition by Dollar Tree and its insurers to paying benefits to Talley's son represents an attempt to set new limits on California's workers' compensation system, under which a company provides benefits to employees or their survivors for work-related deaths or injuries regardless of whether the firm was at fault.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/12/02/MN1514DSB4.DTL&tsp=1

[ColbertWatcher]

1. Fuck Dollar Tree.

I sent this to Keith Olbermann, I hope he makes them worst persons in the world.

Thank you for posting.

[Rebubula]

2. The racial aspect..

...does not bother me (People kill each other over race, money, sports all the time - black, white, latino, gay, straight) as much as a company's unwillingness and complete freaking callousness concerning what is, most likely, a drop in the bucket for these jerks. A loyal employee was killed at work and her son in an orphan - stand up and do right Dollar Tree and your stingy lawyers.

I do not want to imply the I do not care about racial murder, it is just in this world of racism and killing based on that (certainly not relegated to the US - Racism is alive and well in all countries and all cultures\classes) has made me sort of numb to the idea. Too often we think of racism only in terms of United States and Black\White.

Racism is a worldwide problem and has been since the beginning of recorded history - and it aint just white and black, but thanks to folks like George Wallace - its always easier to play it with a Southern accent (quote from a Drive By Truckers song).

In general, I think people suck and Cats are gods on Earth.

[bertman]

3. One more reason that insurance company executives should be the first that go

UP AGAINST THE WALL!! Next: Wall Street execs who allowed the abuses that are killing us now. Then our reps who voted to allow it to happen. Then lobbyists.

The list is long.

[RedCappedBandit]

4. god forbid you just give the kid a fuckin break

holy shit, this is the epitome of selfish