Claim of Zapata v. DRI, Ltd.
The claimant was injured while employed at DRI, Ltd. The Workers’ Compensation Board ruled that the State Insurance Fund was liable for compensation benefits, finding its policy cancellation ineffective against DRI, Ltd. The Fund had sent a single cancellation notice to BDS Industries, Inc., covering multiple entities including DRI, Ltd., but failed to send a separate notice to DRI, Ltd. The Board concluded this violated Workers’ Compensation Law § 54 (5), requiring strict compliance. The appellate court affirmed the Board's decision, emphasizing that subsequent amendments to the law were not retroactively effective and no designation for a single notice recipient was made in this case.