Report Title:

Workers' Compensation

Description:

Establishes wilful and wanton misconduct as an exception to the exclusiveness of worker's compensation rights and remedies; provides that an employer is not relieved of liability as a third party if the employee's personal injury is caused by the wilful and wanton misconduct of employer.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

1597

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2003

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

relating to WORKERS' compensation.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. Section 386-5, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"§386-5 Exclusiveness of right to compensation; exception. The rights and remedies herein granted to an employee or the employee's dependents on account of a work injury suffered by the employee shall exclude all other liability of the employer to the employee, the employee's legal representative, spouse, dependents, next of kin, or anyone else entitled to recover damages from the employer, at common law or otherwise, on account of the injury, except for wilful or wanton misconduct, sexual harassment or sexual assault and infliction of emotional distress or invasion of privacy related thereto, in which case a civil action may also be brought."

SECTION 2. Section 386-8, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"§386-8 Liability of third person. When a work injury for which compensation is payable under this chapter has been sustained under circumstances creating in some person other than the employer or another employee of the employer acting in the course of [his] employment a legal liability to pay damages on account thereof, the injured employee or [his] the employee's dependents (hereinafter referred to collectively as the employee) may claim compensation under this chapter and recover damages from such third person.

If the employee commences an action against such third person [he], the employee shall without delay give the employer written notice of the action and the name and location of the court in which the action is brought by personal service or registered mail. The employer [may], at any time before trial on the facts, may join as party plaintiff.

If within nine months after the date of the personal injury the employee has not commenced an action against such third person, the employer, having paid or being liable for compensation under this chapter, shall be subrogated to the rights of the injured employee. Except as limited by chapter 657, the employee [may] at any time may commence an action or join in any action commenced by the employer against such third person.

No release or settlement of any claim or action under this section is valid without the written consent of both employer and employee. The entire amount of the settlement after deductions for attorney's fees and costs as hereinafter provided, is subject to the employer's right of reimbursement for [his] the employer's compensation payments under this chapter and [his] the employer's expenses and costs of action.

If the action is prosecuted by the employer alone, the employer shall be entitled to be paid from the proceeds received as a result of any judgment for damages, or settlement in case the action is compromised before judgment, the reasonable litigation expenses incurred in preparation and prosecution of such action, together with a reasonable attorney's fee [which] that shall be based solely upon the services rendered by the employer's attorney in effecting recovery both for the benefit of the employer and the employee. After the payment of such expenses and attorney's fee, the employer shall apply out of the amount of the judgment or settlement proceeds an amount sufficient to reimburse the employer for the amount of [his] the employer's expenditure for compensation and shall pay any excess to the injured employee or other person entitled [thereto.] to payment.

If the action is prosecuted by the employee alone, the employee shall be entitled to apply out of the amount of the judgment for damages, or settlement in case the action is compromised before judgment, the reasonable litigation expenses incurred in preparation and prosecution of such action, together with a reasonable attorney's fee which shall be based solely upon the services rendered by the employee's attorney in effecting recovery both for the benefit of the employee and the employer. After the payment of such expenses and attorney's fee, there shall be applied, out of the amount of the judgment or settlement proceeds, the amount of the employer's expenditure for compensation, less [his] the employer's share of such expenses and attorney's fee. On application of the employer, the court shall allow as a first lien against the amount of the judgment for damages or settlement proceeds, the amount of the employer's expenditure for compensation, less [his] the employer's share of such expenses and attorney's fee.

If the action is prosecuted both by the employee and the employer, in a single action or in consolidated actions, and they are represented by the same agreed attorney or by separate attorneys, there shall first be paid from any judgment for damages recovered, or settlement proceeds in case the action or actions be settled before judgment, the reasonable litigation expenses incurred in preparation and prosecution of such action or actions, together with reasonable attorney's fees based solely on the services rendered for the benefit of both parties where they are represented by the same attorney, and where they are represented by separate attorneys, based solely upon the service rendered in each instance by the attorney in effecting recovery for the benefit of the party represented. After the payment of such expenses and attorneys' fees there shall be applied out of the amount of the judgment for damages, or settlement proceeds an amount sufficient to reimburse the employer for the amount of his expenditure for compensation and any excess shall be paid to the injured employee or other person entitled [thereto.] to payment.

In the event that the parties are unable to agree upon the amount of reasonable litigation expenses and the amount of attorneys' fees under this section, then the [same] amount shall be fixed by the court.

After reimbursement for [his] the employer's compensation payments, the employer shall be relieved from the obligation to make further compensation payments to the employee under this chapter up to the entire amount of the balance of the settlement or the judgment, if satisfied, as the case may be, after deducting the cost and expenses, including attorneys' fees.

The amount of compensation paid by the employer or the amount of compensation to which the injured employee is entitled shall not be admissible in evidence in any action brought to recover damages.

[Another] The employer, or another employee of the same employer, shall not be relieved of [his] liability as a third party, if the personal injury is caused by [his] wilful and wanton misconduct.

If the special compensation fund has paid or is liable for any compensation under this chapter, the fund shall be entitled to all the rights and remedies granted an employer under this section; provided that the employer's right to reimbursement for compensation payments and expenses under this chapter shall have priority."

SECTION 3. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

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