Importance of Assessing Jurisdictional Defenses at the Beginning of a Workers’ Compensation Claim

When an injured worker asserts that she suffered a workplace accident, that business must consider several items in its initial investigation of the claim.  Time is of the essence when the business is conducting this investigation, not only to preserve evidence but also to determine whether it could be a viable claim.  对于雇主来说，重要的是要为所谓的事故和受伤工人之后发生的事件制定一个时间表.   At this stage of initial investigation, 企业应考虑几个关键的管辖权问题，以确定根据《澳门十大正规网赌网址》是否对所指控的事故具有管辖权.

至关重要的是，要知道企业的主管或安全经理何时第一次收到员工事故的通知. 

Importantly, under Va Code §65.2-600, "每名受伤雇员或其代表应在事故发生后立即或在切实可行的情况下尽快作出赔偿, give or cause to be given to the employer a written notice of the accident.” 

下 §65.2-600 (D), 除非在事故或死亡发生后30天内发出书面通知，否则不得支付任何赔偿或医疗福利, 除非有合理辩解令委员会信纳雇主没有发出该等通知，而委员会信纳雇主没有因此而受到损害.

Of note, however, under §65.2- 600(E), 除非雇主证明其利益因此受到损害，否则通知中的任何缺陷或不准确不应成为获得赔偿的障碍.  This prejudice can sometimes be difficult for the employer to prove.

雇主必须考虑是否在事故发生之日起两年内向弗吉尼亚工人赔偿委员会提出索赔.

下 §65.2-601, 索赔必须在事故发生之日起两年内提出，否则受伤工人获得赔偿的权利将永远被剥夺.   根据本法应支付的死亡抚恤金只有在下列情况下才应支付:(i)事故造成死亡, (ii) a claim for benefits under this title has been filed within two years after the accident, 和 (iii) the claim for such death benefits is filed within two years from the date of death.

There are always exceptions!   如果索赔是在事故发生后两年以上提出的，确定几种收费因素是否适用是很重要的.

在雇主对事故报告采取行动或不采取行动之后，这种法定诉讼时效的终止就会发生.  下 §65.2-602, 在任何情况下，雇主已接获意外通知，通知雇员须按 §65.2-600 和, whether or not an award has been entered, the employer has paid compensation or wages to such employee during incapacity for work, 如§所定义 65.2-500 or 65.2-502, 或雇主未按§§的要求向弗吉尼亚州工人赔偿委员会提交上述事故报告 65.2-900, 或根据工人补偿计划或保险单，为该雇员提供或导致提供第§所要求的医疗十大正规网赌网址 65.2-603, 适用于提出索赔的诉讼时效应延长至提供上述赔偿或工资或提供医疗十大正规网赌网址的最后一天，而这一天发生在事故发生之日后6个月以上.   然而, 上述在诉讼时效期满后发生的工资或工人补偿福利的支付或医疗十大正规网赌网址的提供，不适用于本规定. In the case where the employer has failed to file a first report, 在诉讼时效期间，应一直持续到雇主按照第§的要求提交第一份事故报告为止 65.2-900.  In the event that more than one of the above tolling provisions applies, whichever of those causes the longer period of tolling shall apply.

Was the injured worker an employee of the business?

要确定一个人在事故发生时是雇员还是独立承包商，就要看企业对受伤工人的控制类型和程度.  This is a factual determination made by the Commission.  这些标准有助于委员会确定工人的地位:工人与企业之间的沟通, work schedules 和 regularity of work shifts, method 和 frequency of payment, equipment provided by the business to the worker, method of transportation to jobsites, 和 ability for worker to freely work whenever she wishes.

事发当天现场是否有其他企业，受伤工人是否在该企业工作?

应考虑工地上特定业务的角色，因为它对总承包商和分包商角色的分类有影响.  如果由于某种原因，分包商在事故发生时没有工人赔偿保险，而该业务是总承包商, that business may have liability for the injuries of employees of that subcontractor’s employees.  下 §65.2-302, 雇主的法定责任可能附加，企业将对给予受伤工人的福利负责.

Did the business have more than two employees at the time of the accident?

The Act only applies to businesses with two or more employees.  If the injured worker was working for a business with two or fewer employees, his/her injury is not covered under the Act 和 she cannot receive workers’ compensation benefits.

该法案以非常具体的方式定义了雇员，并对与企业有关的某些类型的人员进行了排除.  Those exclusions result in lower amounts of employees under the Act.  例如, 如果有限责任公司的唯一成员未就其有限责任公司业务提交书面申请，则不被视为该法案下的雇员.

当企业发生事故时，当向弗吉尼亚工人赔偿委员会提出索赔时，有许多项目需要考虑, this article highlights just a few such considerations.  企业在进行初步调查和随后的工人赔偿索赔辩护时，应寻求律师的建议.

克里Stolz 是一个澳门十大正规网赌网址 & 十大正规网赌网址 attorney focusing her practice on workers’ compensation matters.