An Alabama employee’s claim for workers’ compensation benefits is extinguished by his or her death and the surviving spouse may not be substituted as a plaintiff under Rule 25 of the Alabama Rules of Civil Procedure, held a state appellate court. Accordingly, a...
The Supreme Court of North Dakota held the trial court properly granted a former employer’s summary judgment dismissing a widow’s wrongful death action against it because the facts alleged did not provide a genuine issue of material fact to avoid the...
The Commission capped attorney’s fees on a death case and found a contract for a 25% contingency fee was not fair and reasonable. Bynum, dec. v Bynum et al, 2016 MO WCLR Lexis 29 (May 3 2016) (Lexis Advance), 2016 MO WCLR Lexis 29 (May 3 2016) (lexis.com...
Where a widow sought workers’ compensation death benefits on behalf of herself and her son—the step-son of the deceased worker—and the widow died while the claim was still pending, the trial court erred when it granted the employer’s motion for summary judgment...
Where a Connecticut claimant timely filed a claim for disability benefits resulting from his exposure to various toxins during the course of his employment and where he subsequently died five years after the original diagnosis as a result of his condition, a claim...
Where a worker was killed in a work-related accident on the second day after he assumed a new position in Colorado—he had previously worked for the employer in Mississippi—and his survivors were paid death benefits under the Mississippi Act for 148...
The widow of a police officer who sustained fatal injuries when the officer was struck by a car as he and a volunteer were engaged in setting up and running a union-sponsored steak fry was entitled to death benefits under Ohio’s Workers’ Compensation Act, held...
The case involves a fight between a worker's father and the worker's spouse over nearly $100,000. Ard, dec. v Jim Plunkett Inc. 2015 MO WCLR Lexis 101 (lexis.com), 2015 MO WCLR Lexis 101 (Lexis Advance) (Oct 22, 2015). The worker broke multiple bones...
The Supreme Court of Mississippi held that a general contractor waived its right to utilize the exclusive remedy defense where it was sued by the survivors of a worker employed by a subcontractor and for 26 months, it actively participated in litigating the merits...
A North Carolina appellate court affirmed a decision of the state’s Industrial Commission awarding $3,000 in attorney fees to a claimant’s attorney, rather than the $37,537.50 the attorney had requested. Observing that the claimant’s husband had...
Where an employee sustained a serious work-related injury—a torn thoracic aorta—in February 2006, and died almost four years later, having signed a release as to all future claims against the employer for an agreed upon lump-sum payment, his widow was not precluded...
In Texas, an employer that causes the death of an employee due to the employer’s gross negligence or intentional acts or omissions is subject to suit for exemplary damages brought by the surviving spouse or heirs of the deceased employee [see Tex. Labor Code...
The Supreme Court of New Jersey reversed an award of workers' compensation death benefits to the surviving spouse of an employee who died as a result of an embolism she suffered after working through the night on a work-related project at her home. The deceased...
A surviving widow negotiated with the employer to obtain a lump sum settlement but the Commission refused to approve the settlement and asserted that the agreement was not in accordance with her rights because it was less than the present value of the claim. Hinkle...
Under Texas law, consistent with that in the large majority of states, a workers’ compensation carrier has a subrogation interest in a third-party civil action to the extent of its prior payments for benefits and to treat the amount recovered as an advance...