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Access over workers' compensation decisions, including En Banc, Significant Panel Decisions, and writ-denied cases.

Case No. 2018 NY Slip Op 08737
Regular Panel Decision
Dec 20, 2018

NYAHSA Servs., Inc., Self-Insurance Trust v. Recco Home Care Servs., Inc.

This case concerns an appeal from an order of the Supreme Court in Albany County. Plaintiff NYAHSA Services, Inc., Self-Insurance Trust, a self-insured trust providing workers' compensation coverage, sued defendant Recco Home Care Services, Inc. for unpaid adjustments after the defendant terminated its membership. Following an amendment to the complaint adding individual trustees as plaintiffs, the defendant asserted counterclaims for fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, and negligence against these trustees, which the Supreme Court dismissed as time-barred. The defendant also sought to amend its answer to include a counterclaim under General Business Law, which was denied. The Appellate Division, Third Department, found that the Supreme Court erred in dismissing the counterclaims for fraud and breach of fiduciary duty and in denying the cross-motion to amend for the General Business Law claim. Consequently, the Appellate Division modified the Supreme Court's order, reversing parts of the dismissal and denial, and affirmed the order as modified.

Workers' Compensation CoverageSelf-Insurance TrustFraud AllegationsBreach of Fiduciary DutyGeneral Business LawStatute of LimitationsAmended PleadingsCounterclaimsAppellate ReviewMotion to Dismiss
References
2
Case No. 04-CR-156
Regular Panel Decision

United States v. Taveras

Defendant Humberto Pepin Taveras faces a homicide trial where the government seeks the death penalty for the killings of two associates during a drug trafficking dispute. Senior District Judge Jack B. Weinstein addresses the admissibility of a self-defense claim, emphasizing heightened protections for defendants in capital cases and allowing more leeway for evidence favoring the defendant. The defense intends to establish self-defense through witness statements suggesting the victims, José Rosario and Carlos Madrid, had threatened Pepin and his family. The prosecution disputes this, arguing Pepin deliberately sought out and murdered the victims, thereby precluding a self-defense claim as he initiated the confrontations. The court ultimately rules that Pepin will be permitted to argue self-defense, and related evidence will be allowed, with a self-defense instruction to the jury contingent on sufficient proof being presented.

Self-defenseCapital punishmentHomicide trialEvidentiary rulesDrug traffickingDeath penaltyJury instructionsCriminal lawDue processReasonable doubt
References
45
Case No. MISSING
Regular Panel Decision

NYAHSA Servs., Inc., Self-Insurance Trust v. People Care Inc.

This case involves an appeal from an order of the Supreme Court, which granted the plaintiff's motions for leave to amend complaints. The plaintiff, a group self-insured trust, initiated collection actions against former member employers, People Care Incorporated and Recco Home Care Services, Inc., for unpaid workers' compensation adjustment bills. The plaintiff sought to add its trustees as party plaintiffs and to update allegations to include subsequently accrued unpaid bills. The appellate court affirmed the Supreme Court's decision, clarifying that an evidentiary showing of merit is not required for leave to amend pleadings under CPLR 3025 (b) unless there is prejudice, surprise, palpable insufficiency, or patent lack of merit. The court found no such grounds for denial and also rejected the defendants' statute of limitations arguments, affirming that for contracts requiring continuing performance, each breach can restart the limitations period.

Workers' Compensation CoverageSelf-Insured TrustBreach of ContractUnjust EnrichmentPleading AmendmentCPLR 3025 (b)Statute of LimitationsPrejudiceAppellate ReviewSupreme Court Order
References
18
Case No. 2017 NY Slip Op 07909 [155 AD3d 1208]
Regular Panel Decision
Nov 09, 2017

NYAHSA Services, Inc., Self-Insurance Trust v. People Care Inc.

Plaintiff, a self-insured trust, commenced a collection action against defendant, a former member, for unpaid assessments related to workers' compensation claims. Defendant counterclaimed and filed a third-party action against Cool Insuring Agency, the trust's administrators, alleging mismanagement. During discovery, a dispute arose over a report commissioned by defendant's counsel from a consultant, which Cool and plaintiff sought to compel. Defendant asserted attorney-client privilege, attorney work product, and material prepared in anticipation of litigation. The Supreme Court partially granted the motions to compel, a decision largely affirmed by the Appellate Division, Third Department, with a modification regarding a specific email exchange found to be protected attorney work product.

Discovery DisputeAttorney-Client PrivilegeAttorney Work ProductMaterial Prepared for LitigationSelf-Insurance TrustWorkers' Compensation BenefitsBreach of ContractUnjust EnrichmentThird-Party ActionClaims Administration
References
20
Case No. MISSING
Regular Panel Decision

Place v. Ryder

Claimant, who received workers' compensation benefits from a self-insured employer, settled a third-party action. A dispute arose regarding whether the employer had waived its statutory offset rights against the claimant's net recovery from the third-party action, as there was no written agreement. The Workers' Compensation Board affirmed a Workers' Compensation Law Judge's decision, finding that the self-insured employer had reserved its offset rights. The appellate court affirmed the Board's decision, concluding that the employer's attorney's correspondence provided substantial evidence to support the Board's finding that offset rights were explicitly reserved.

Workers' CompensationOffset RightsThird-Party SettlementEmployer's LienStatutory WaiverAttorney CorrespondenceAppellate ReviewSubstantial EvidenceWorkers' Compensation BoardNew York
References
7
Case No. MISSING
Regular Panel Decision

Michigan Self-Insurers' Security Fund v. DPH Holdings Corp. (In Re DPH Holdings Corp.)

The Michigan Self-Insurers’ Security Fund appealed a bankruptcy court's denial to file late claims against DPH Holdings, Inc., following DPH's Chapter 11 reorganization. The Fund, which covers workers' compensation for insolvent self-insured employers, filed claims three years after the Bar Date, arguing excusable neglect due to DPH's initial commitment to continue payments. The bankruptcy court, however, found no excusable neglect, highlighting the Fund's failure to file a contingent claim by the deadline. The District Court affirmed this decision, emphasizing the significant delay, the potential prejudice to the debtor, and the Fund's legally mistaken belief regarding its claim obligations.

Bankruptcy AppealLate ClaimsExcusable NeglectPioneer TestWorkers' Compensation ObligationsChapter 11 ReorganizationBar DateContingent ClaimsAbuse of Discretion ReviewJudicial Administration
References
15
Case No. 2017 NY Slip Op 08244
Regular Panel Decision
Nov 22, 2017

Matter of New York State Workers' Compensation Bd. v. Murray Bresky Consultants, Ltd

This appeal concerns the allocation of settlement proceeds from a defunct group self-insured trust. The New York State Workers' Compensation Board, as administrator of the Manufacturing Self Insurance Trust Fund, sought judicial apportionment of settlement funds recovered from third parties. Murray Bresky Consultants, Ltd, a former member of the trust, objected to the Board receiving all proceeds and asserted a counterclaim for its share and an accounting. The Supreme Court granted the Board all proceeds and dismissed Murray Bresky's objections. The Appellate Division modified this decision, ruling that Murray Bresky was entitled to share in the jointly-recovered settlement proceeds and that the Board must file a verified accounting, remitting the matter for further proceedings.

Workers' Compensation LawSelf-Insurance TrustSettlement ProceedsJudicial ApportionmentVerified AccountingCPLR Article 77Contractual InterpretationTrust DeficitAppellate ReviewFiduciary Duty
References
13
Case No. 2017 NY Slip Op 08595 [156 AD3d 1043]
Regular Panel Decision
Dec 07, 2017

New York State Workers' Compensation Board v. Any-Time Home Care Inc.

The New York State Workers' Compensation Board, acting as administrator for a dissolved self-insured trust, initiated an action to recover a $133 million cumulative deficit from former trust members. Various defendants sought to dismiss the complaint, asserting claims were time-barred by a three-year statute of limitations for statutory liabilities, failed to adequately state claims against individual partners, and were barred by the doctrine of laches. The Supreme Court denied these motions. On appeal, the Appellate Division, Third Department, affirmed the Supreme Court's order, ruling that the claims were contractual, subject to a six-year limitation period, and that laches did not apply against the state enforcing a public right. The court also found the complaint sufficiently specific regarding the liability of individual defendants.

Workers' Compensation LawSelf-Insurance TrustJoint and Several LiabilityStatute of LimitationsContractual LiabilityLaches DoctrineAppellate ReviewGroup Self-InsurerDeficit RecoveryPartnership Liability
References
16
Case No. ADJ7014135
Regular
Nov 29, 2010

VIANEY VARGAS vs. SELECT STAFFING, ESIS

This case involves an applicant who invoked her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination during a deposition, refusing to answer questions related to her identifying information and potential prior claims. The defendant sought to bar benefits, arguing the applicant's refusal hindered discovery necessary to determine liability. The Appeals Board granted reconsideration, recognizing that while the applicant cannot be compelled to incriminate herself, she also cannot use the privilege to shield herself from providing relevant information needed for the defense. The Board remanded the case for the WCJ to determine which specific questions are directly relevant to the litigation, allowing the applicant to answer them or face potential dismissal of her claim.

Petition for ReconsiderationPetition for Order Suspending Action and Barring BenefitsPetition for SanctionsFifth AmendmentSelf-incriminationDue ProcessCross-examinationDiscoveryDirectly RelevantLabor Code 4050
References
6
Case No. MISSING
Regular Panel Decision

Koral v. Board of Education

The petitioner, an assistant mechanical engineer, was dismissed by the board of education of the city of New York after refusing to answer questions about Communist party membership and espionage activities before the House Committee on Un-American Activities, claiming self-incrimination. The board terminated his employment citing section 903 of the New York City Charter, which mandates termination for employees refusing to testify on such grounds. The petitioner contended that section 903 was inapplicable as he was an employee of the board of education, not the city, and that he was denied a hearing under the Education Law. The court held that the petitioner was an employee of the City of New York under section 903 and that the section is self-executing, thus a hearing was not required when the facts were undisputed. The court also determined that the Congressional inquiry into espionage and loyalty constituted an inquiry into his official conduct as a public employee. Therefore, the motion was denied, and the petition dismissed.

Public Employee DismissalSelf-Incrimination PrivilegeUn-American ActivitiesNew York City CharterEducation Law ConflictLegislative Committee TestimonyLoyalty OathsConstitutional RightsArticle 78 ReviewGovernment Espionage Inquiry
References
15
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