Japan Press Weekly

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2016 November 2 - 8 [LABOR]

Ex-official of major insurer examines workmen’s compensation

It has come to light that in reexamining workers’ compensation benefits for a worker who was injured in an accident during his commute to work, a former board member of a major insurance company for the party who caused the accident has been in the position to make a decision on this case.

This worker was appealing against the labor authorities’ decision rejecting his application for workmen’s compensation.

Japanese Communist Party member of the House of Representatives Horiuchi Terufumi at a House Health, Labor and Welfare Committee meeting on November 2 criticized this handling as unfair because the worker’s case could be biased in the interest of the insurer.

Horiuchi pointed out the possibility that the ex-executive’s judgement influenced the payment of the compensation claim and said, “Anyone whose interests are highly likely to conflict with compensation applicants should not be in a position to sit on the screening commission.”

The Labor Insurance Appeal Committee member in question has been reviewing the grievance filed by the worker suffering from a mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) caused by a traffic accident on his way to work. The committee member is a former official of an automobile liability insurance firm for the party causing the accident.

Horiuchi asked Health, Labor and Welfare Minister Shiozaki Yasuhisa if persons affecting applicants’ interests have ever assumed the post as committee members and asked what he thinks of this situation.

The minister admitted to the unsuitableness but said, “The member in question has already retired from the insurance company. So, I don’t see any unfairness or anything affecting the neutrality here.”