Your May 29 article on worker advocates in the workers’ compensation field relied too heavily on statements of former Sen. John Nutting.

First, the statement that lawyers used to get “up to 40 percent of the settlement” is false. Mr. Nutting knows this is false since he was pivotal in cutting benefits for workers.

P.L. 1991 c.615 enacted Section 325 says, “The computation of the fee…may not exceed: (1) Ten percent of the first $50,000 of the settlement; …and (6) five percent of any amount over $90,000.”

Lawyers in the compensation field did not get “up to 40 percent of the settlement.”

Second, Nutting and others created the worker advocate program as an expensive fig leaf to cover their guilt at the draconian cuts they enthusiastically made in 1992 to rights and benefits for injured workers and their survivors.

Third, Nutting was no friend of injured workers, but a shill for the insurance lobbyists.

The reason Nutting wanted lawyers out of workers’ compensation is because they did a good job advocating for their clients. And they only got paid if they won.

Edward F. Gorham, president

Maine AFL-CIO, Augusta