A critical sociological inquiry into the effects of long-term disability on lifestyle, financial status and information availability for African American and Caucasian male disabled industrial workers within the Michigan Workers' Compensation system

The wage loss benefits paid to the disabled industrial workers are designed to provide the individual and his family with 80% of his after tax. Workers' compensation wage loss is insurance against income interruption. This research investigated whether the wage replacement provided the economic and financial security envisioned by the framers of the State of Michigan Workers' Compensation Act, this research focused on the system within the State of Michigan.; The workers' compensation system was designed to provide a written guarantee of entitlements to the disabled industrial worker in exchange for him giving up a number of constitutional rights. Rights include legal action against his employer for intentional tort, pain and suffering, replacement services, and lack of consortium. The role of government appears to be, and is often fair and neutral in the antagonistic relationship between disabled industrial workers and insurance carriers. There was a need to investigate and compare differences between African American and Caucasian disabled industrial males, beginning with changes in lifestyle, financial stability and access to entitlements information from the state and professionals.