The Changing Shape of Workers Compensation

Billy Shawn Walkup hurt his back working at a Tyson bacon factory in Texas in 2011. Tyson asked him to sign a lawsuit waiver before extending his medical benefits, but later terminated them.

Reporter Michael Grabell discusses his latest story for ProPublica, “Tyson Foods' Secret Recipe for Carving Up Workers' Comp,” about how Tyson Foods has taken a lead in reshaping workers compensation across the country. Grabell argues that Tyson’s outsized influence on government and the law often works to the detriment of the workers while boosting the company’s bottom line.