A new law takes effect on January 1, 2010 that bars denying workers' compensation coverage due to a personal connection to a worker who was killed or injured on the job because of their national origin, religion, gender, age, or disability.

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed this law into legislation on Monday, October 12. This legislation is also known as Taneka Talley's Law. This came about after the death of a black employee who was stabbed to death on the job at a store. The employer's insurer had denied the death benefits for the employee's 8-year-old son, saying that the perpetrator had stated that he sought to kill a black person, and that there had been a personal connection between the attacker and the employee that was unrelated to the worker's employment.

Do you know of anyone else who has been in this situation? Please do share your comments.