Managing Employee Injuries and Disability and Occupational Safety

S ECTION 6 Penalties

.............................................................................................................................................................50 A. Unreasonable Delay in Furnishing Benefits (10%) .......................................................................................50 1. Until 6-1-04............................................................................................................................................50 2. After 6-1-04............................................................................................................................................51 B. Civil Penalty Legislation Effective January 1, 1990 .....................................................................................51 C. Late Payment of Medical Fees ......................................................................................................................51 D. Serious and Willful Misconduct (50%) .........................................................................................................51 1. Defined...................................................................................................................................................51 2. Executive, Etc. Defined..........................................................................................................................52 3. Failure to Provide a Safe Place to Work ................................................................................................52 4. Violation of a Safety Order ....................................................................................................................52 5. Causation................................................................................................................................................52 E. Challenges to Benefits...................................................................................................................................53 F. Serious and Willful Misconduct of an Employee..........................................................................................53 G. Discrimination...............................................................................................................................................53 S ECTION 7 Third Party Liability and Employee Civil Actions ......................................................................................................53 A. Third Party Subrogation ................................................................................................................................53 B. Who are Third Parties?..................................................................................................................................54 C. Actions against Negligent Third Parties........................................................................................................55 D. Firefighter’s Rule ..........................................................................................................................................55 E. Exclusive Remedy as to Employer................................................................................................................55 1. Exceptions ..............................................................................................................................................55 F. Public Agency Liability Arising from the Issuance of Building Permits ......................................................56 S ECTION 8 Employer Reporting Responsibilities, Notice Obligations, and Investigation and Claims Management ....................56 A. Introduction ...................................................................................................................................................56 1. Recording and Reporting of Occupational Injury or Illness...................................................................56 2. Notice Requirements under the Workers’ Compensation Reform Act ..................................................57 3. Risk Management Suggestion ................................................................................................................58 B. Investigative Checklists.................................................................................................................................58 C. Investigative Checklist for Injuries on Employer’s Premises........................................................................58 D. Investigative Checklist for Injuries off Employer’s Premises .......................................................................59 E. Investigative Checklist - Intoxication............................................................................................................59 F. Investigative Checklist – Altercations and Assault .......................................................................................59 G. Investigative Checklist – Fall as the Cause of Injury ....................................................................................59 H. Investigative Checklist – Back Injuries .........................................................................................................60 I. Preserving the Confidentiality of the Investigative Report ...........................................................................60 S ECTION 9 Personnel Management and the Industrially Injured Employee ..................................................................................61 A. Introduction ...................................................................................................................................................61 B. Labor Code Section 132a ..............................................................................................................................62 1. Introduction and Overview.....................................................................................................................62 2. Discriminatory Acts Prohibited..............................................................................................................63 3. Discrimination Per Se, and the Business Realities Defense ...................................................................64 4. Other Situations to Which Section 132a Has Been Applied ..................................................................67 C. Management Checklist for Avoiding Liability for Claims under Labor Code Section 132a ........................67

E NDNOTES ...................................................................................................................................................................69

Managing Employee Injuries, Disability and Occupational Safety ©2019 (s) Liebert Cassidy Whitmore vi