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Carrier Which Failed To Provide 10-Day Statutory Notice Letter Was Permitted To Bring Suit

By on February 13, 2017 in Claims, NJ Workers' Comp with 0 Comments

New Jersey employers know that they have a right to subrogate against the party who caused injury to their employee to recover workers’ compensation benefits paid, but they must wait one year before taking any action.  After one year, if the injured worker has not pursued a third party action, the employer must make a written demand on the injured employee giving the employee 10 days to pursue such action, or else the employer will file it in his or her name.  But what if the employer neglects to send the 10 day letter and then tries to bring suit?

That was the precise issue in Hartford Underwriters Insurance Company v. Jacquelin Salimente, A-3687-14T2 (App. Div. February 6, 2017).  A Hartford insured employee, Mishkoff, had been injured in a work-related accident by Salimente, who had lost control of her vehicle, causing injuries to Mishkoff.  But Mishkoff never filed suit against Salimente.  On the last day that the statute would have run, Hartford filed suit (failing to sue in Mishkoff’s name) against Salimente to protect its lien of $16,332.79 for workers’ compensation payments it had made to Mishkoff.  However, Hartford failed to provide proof that it had issued a 10-day notice.  Salimente’s carrier moved to dismiss the case for failure to comply with the statute under N.J.S.A. 34:15-40.  The trial judge dismissed Hartford’s suit, and Hartford appealed.

The Appellate Division reviewed old case law indicating that the 10-day notice can be waived, particularly where the carrier notified the injured worker of his right to sue.   Hartford produced two letters, one to Mishkoff two months after the accident and then other to Mishkoff’s counsel 18 months afterward.  In the first letter, Hartford informed Mishkoff of its subrogation rights and asked him whether he intended to pursue a third-party action.  In the second letter, Hartford asserted its subrogation rights, and it requested that Mishkoff advise whether he was pursuing a third party action.  Unfortunately, these letters were not produced by Hartford at the time of the initial hearing in Superior Court.  Had they been timely produced, perhaps the trial judge would not have dismissed Hartford’s case.

The Appellate Division considered Hartford’s motion to reopen the record and agreed that the case should not have been dismissed because the purpose of the 10-day letter is to inform the injured worker of his or her rights to pursue a third party action.  The letters that Hartford wrote to Mishkoff satisfied this purpose.  Therefore the Appellate Division allowed Hartford to pursue the third party claim on behalf of Mishkoff.

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About the Author

About the Author:

John H. Geaney, Esq. is a Shareholder and Co-Chair of Capehart Scatchard's Workers' Compensation Group. Mr. Geaney began an email newsletter entitled “Currents in Workers’ Compensation, ADA and FMLA” in 2001 in order to keep clients and readers informed on leading developments in these three areas of law. Since that time he has written over 500 newsletter updates.

Mr. Geaney is the author of Geaney’s New Jersey Workers’ Compensation Manual for Practitioners, Adjusters & Employers. The Manual is distributed by the New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education (NJICLE). He also authored an ADA and FMLA Manual also distributed by NJICLE. If you are interested in purchasing “Geaney’s New Jersey Workers’ Compensation Manual for Practitioners, Adjusters & Employers,” please contact NJICLE at 732-214-8500 or visit their website at www.njicle.com.

Mr. Geaney represents employers in the defense of workers’ compensation, ADA and FMLA matters. He is a Fellow of the College of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers of the American Bar Association. He is one of two firm representatives to the National Workers’ Compensation Defense Network.

A graduate of Holy Cross College summa cum laude, Mr. Geaney obtained his law degree from Boston College Law School.

Mr. Geaney was selected to the “New Jersey Super Lawyer” list (2005-2017, 2021 in the area of Workers’ Compensation). Only 5% of attorneys are selected to “Super Lawyers” through a peer nominated process based on independent research and peer evaluation. The Super Lawyers list is issued by Thomson Reuters. For a description of the “Super Lawyers” selection methodology, please visit https://www.superlawyers.com/about/selection_process.html

For the years 2022-2024 Mr. Geaney was selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® list in the practice area of Workers’ Compensation Law - Employers. The attorneys on this list are selected based upon the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area. A complete description of The Best Lawyers in America® methodology can be viewed via their website at https://www.bestlawyers.com/methodology.

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Capehart Scatchard is a full service law firm with offices in Mt. Laurel and Hamilton, New Jersey. The firm represents employers and businesses in a wide variety of areas, including workers’ compensation, civil litigation, labor, environmental, business, estates and governmental affairs.

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