The workers compensation players One reason workers compensation is so complex is that there are so many stakeholders. Workers: There are 13 million workers in California, and every year they file 1 million workers compensation claims. Employers: When a worker is injured on the job, employers must cover medical care and pay a stipend if the worker is unable to work. Two-thirds of California employers buy insurance to cover this obligation. One-third -- the largest employers -- pay the costs themselves. Insurers: Forty insurance companies hold 96 percent of the workers compensation business in California. The largest, with a 20.8 percent market share in 1995, is State Compensation Insurance Fund -- started by the state but now an independent nonprofit company. Attorneys: One out of five workers compensation cases winds up in litigation, with workers and employers each represented by an attorney. There are about 1,000 attorneys in California who specialize in representing injured workers. Medical providers: Doctors, physical therapists and other medical providers bill about $2 billion a year for medical care on workers compensation cases in California. The fees they can charge are set by law, with some wiggle room. California Divison of Workers Compensation: These state employees handle litigated cases, offer opinions on the extent of a worker's permanent disability, review vocational rehabilitation plans, answer questions from workers and audit claims. ©1997 The Press Democrat