March 25, 2016 - José Valerio was earning a decent wage in New York City working as a welder for 10 years before an accident in 2014 left him with severe third-degree burns to his hand. The injury later developed into Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD), causing constant severe pain.

The father of four is still under a doctor’s care, relying on workers’ compensation benefits as he looks for ways to get back into the job market. Today, while José struggles to recover, there are efforts underway to change the workers’ compensation system in ways that would not only create additional barriers for workers like him, but make it even less likely for injured workers to maintain a decent standard of living.