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Case Law Database

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

Case No. MISSING
Regular Panel Decision
Jan 27, 1984

Stedman v. City of New York

This case concerns an appeal regarding a workers' compensation lien. The plaintiff, a cab driver, was injured in an automobile accident and received workers' compensation benefits from the State Insurance Fund and no-fault benefits from Eagle Insurance Co. Plaintiff settled a personal injury action against Walther and the City of New York for $30,000, with Welsbach and Alfo Cab Co. as third-party defendants. The trial court initially granted a motion to vacate the workers' compensation lien but later reversed this decision. The appellate court unanimously reversed the vacatur, denied the motion to vacate the lien, and reinstated the lien, holding that the Fund's lien attaches to recoveries from non-covered persons (City of New York and Welsbach) for both economic and non-economic loss under Insurance Law § 673, subd 2.

Workers' Compensation LienNo-Fault BenefitsAutomobile AccidentThird-Party ActionSubrogationInsurance LawEconomic LossNoneconomic LossSettlement ProceedsStatutory Interpretation
References
2
Case No. MISSING
Regular Panel Decision

Bopp v. Wiest

This is a case of first impression concerning the application of a workers' compensation lien to a wrongful death settlement involving beneficiaries who are not statutory dependents. The decedent's estate received $50,000 in workers' compensation benefits under Workers' Compensation Law § 16 (4-b) following a workplace death, as there were no dependents. The estate's coexecutrices secured a $60,000 wrongful death settlement on behalf of the decedent's adult children. Liberty Mutual, the workers' compensation carrier, asserted a lien against this settlement. The court, presided over by Justice Andrew V. Siracuse, ruled that the 1990 amendment to Workers' Compensation Law § 16 (4-b) made the distinction between dependents and distributees irrelevant in this context. Consequently, the court approved the settlement but confirmed that the proceeds are subject to Liberty Mutual's workers' compensation lien, ensuring that adult children receiving benefits through the estate do not have a superior position to minor dependents receiving direct benefits.

wrongful deathworkers' compensationliensettlementstatutory interpretationdependentsdistributeesNew York lawfirst impressionsubrogation
References
7
Case No. MISSING
Regular Panel Decision
Feb 05, 1980

In re the Claim of Ross v. Standard Milling Co.

This case concerns an appeal from a Workers’ Compensation Board decision, filed on February 5, 1980, which approved a $50 attorney’s fee as a lien upon an award made to the claimant. The claimant had sustained a back injury in March 1978 and received compensation payments from the carrier. After retaining an attorney, a hearing in May 1979 established accident, notice, and causal relationship, formalizing the award already paid by the carrier. The carrier contested the attorney's fee as a lien, arguing the claimant had already received the full award. The Board affirmed the lien, citing relevant case law and Section 24 of the Workers’ Compensation Law. The court ultimately affirmed the Board's decision, with costs to the Workers’ Compensation Board.

Workers' CompensationAttorney's FeesLienAwardAffirmed DecisionStatutory InterpretationNew York LawBoard DecisionInsurance CarrierLegal Services
References
3
Case No. MISSING
Regular Panel Decision
Feb 05, 1999

Atkinson v. City of New York

This case concerns a CPLR article 78 proceeding initiated by a petitioner against the City of New York. The petitioner sought to prevent the City from imposing a Workers’ Compensation lien on an award received through the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. The Supreme Court, Queens County, granted the petition and prohibited the lien. On appeal, the decision was affirmed, with the court reiterating that Workers’ Compensation liens are applicable only against recoveries from third-party tortfeasors responsible for injuries, as per Matter of Shutter v Philips Display Components Co. The court determined that the vaccine injury award did not constitute such a recovery, thus precluding the lien. The case Matter of Ryan v General Elec. Co. was distinguished as involving an award against a tortfeasor under the Military Claims Act.

Workers' Compensation LienNational Vaccine Injury Compensation ProgramCPLR Article 78Third-Party TortfeasorAppellate ReviewStatutory InterpretationLien ProhibitionVaccine Injury AwardMilitary Claims ActNew York Appellate Courts
References
2
Case No. MISSING
Regular Panel Decision

Kesick v. Ulster County Self Insurance Plan

Paul Kesick, a police officer, was involved in two automobile accidents, leading to workers' compensation claims for knee injuries. Kesick and his wife settled a personal injury action against the drivers for $50,000 and $75,000 without the consent of the Ulster County Self Insurance Plan, their workers' compensation carrier. The Supreme Court granted their application for a nunc pro tunc order approving the settlement but denied the carrier's request for a workers' compensation lien against the settlement proceeds. The carrier appealed, arguing it was entitled to a lien for amounts exceeding $50,000, which are not considered first-party benefits. The appellate court agreed, modifying the order by granting the carrier a lien of $5,969.49 to be held in escrow, preventing an impermissible double recovery for the petitioners.

Workers' Compensation LawLienSettlementThird-Party ActionFirst-Party BenefitsNo-Fault Insurance LawDouble RecoveryAutomobile AccidentAppellate CourtStatutory Interpretation
References
3
Case No. MISSING
Regular Panel Decision
Dec 27, 2004

McComber v. Lehrer McGovern Bovis, Inc.

This case involves an appeal of an order from the Supreme Court, New York County, which fixed a nonparty-appellant workers’ compensation carrier’s lien at $23,355.68. The original action was for personal injuries at a work site, resulting in a $14.5 million recovery for the plaintiff through a high-low settlement. The carrier had paid $228,605.18 in past compensation benefits and was assessed to have a present value of $387,143.30 in future compensation benefits that it would have paid. The appellate court affirmed the lower court's decision, which applied the Kelly formula to reduce the carrier's lien by its equitable share of litigation costs, encompassing both past and future benefits. The court also rejected the carrier's argument that the plaintiff violated Workers’ Compensation Law § 29 (5) by not obtaining consent for the settlement, clarifying that such consent is only required for settlements less than the statutory benefits, which was not the case here. Furthermore, any required judicial approval was deemed properly granted nunc pro tunc.

Lien ReductionKelly FormulaFuture Benefits ValuationHigh-Low SettlementJudicial DiscretionNunc Pro Tunc ApprovalWorkers' Compensation Law § 29 (5)Equitable ApportionmentSubrogation RightsPersonal Injury Recovery
References
7
Case No. MISSING
Regular Panel Decision
May 05, 2011

Spadaro v. Meza

The plaintiffs appealed an order from the Supreme Court, Kings County, which denied their motion to determine that nonparty respondents Pacific Employers Insurance Company, c/o Gallagher Bassett, and the Special Funds Conservation Committee had no enforceable workers’ compensation lien on settlement proceeds. The injured plaintiff had two workers' compensation claims from accidents in 1998 and 2004. An agreement from 2008 allowed Gallagher Bassett and Special Funds to reserve their right to assert liens on settlement proceeds from the 2004 claim. Plaintiffs argued the lien amounts could not be accurately established due to a lack of apportionment between the claims. The Supreme Court correctly denied the motion, as Gallagher Bassett only made benefit payments related to the 2004 accident, making the lien amount ascertainable. The order was affirmed.

Workers' Compensation LienSettlement ProceedsPersonal InjuriesApportionment of ClaimsInsurance CarrierSpecial Funds Conservation CommitteeLump Sum AwardWaiver of BenefitsSupreme Court AppealCivil Procedure
References
3
Case No. MISSING
Regular Panel Decision

Orth v. Coffey

Kenneth Orth initiated a negligence action to recover damages for personal injuries. The Supreme Court, Queens County, granted Orth’s application to vacate the workers’ compensation lien of Firemen’s Insurance Company and denied Firemen’s cross motion to dismiss. On appeal, the order was reversed. The appellate court denied Orth’s motion to vacate Firemen’s lien and granted Firemen’s cross motion to dismiss, citing Workers’ Compensation Law § 29(1) which provides an absolute lien to a compensation carrier on third-party recoveries despite no-fault provisions in the Insurance Law. The court distinguished the case from Grello v Daszykowski, noting that Firemen and Allstate Insurance Company (the no-fault carrier) were not the same entity. The decision was made without prejudice to plaintiffs pursuing proceedings against Allstate Insurance Company as the no-fault carrier.

NegligencePersonal InjuryWorkers' Compensation LienNo-Fault InsuranceThird-Party ActionInsurance LawMotor Vehicle AccidentLien VacaturAppellate ReviewStatutory Interpretation
References
2
Case No. MISSING
Regular Panel Decision

Boyle v. Texasgulf Aviation, Inc.

This opinion by District Judge Goettel addresses motions within the long-standing "Texasgulf cases," stemming from a 1981 corporate aircraft crash, primarily focusing on a workers' compensation lien. Plaintiff Boyle moved to extinguish or reduce a lien held by Zurich-American Insurance Companies, while Texasgulf cross-moved to amend pleadings to join as a plaintiff to apportion damages under Connecticut law. The court determined that Connecticut law governs the workers' compensation lien issues for the Connecticut residents involved, denying the plaintiffs' request for New York law. However, Texasgulf's motion to amend its pleadings was denied due to undue and unjustified delay of over four years since a key jury finding establishing its corporate independence from TGA, and after all appeals and settlements had concluded. The court emphasized that allowing such a late amendment would be contrary to judicial efficiency and the finality of judgments, despite the ambiguity of Connecticut's statutory notice requirements.

Workers' Compensation LienChoice of LawConnecticut LawNew York LawRule 15 AmendmentUndue DelayPrejudiceCorporate VeilWrongful Death StatuteAircraft Crash Litigation
References
24
Case No. MISSING
Regular Panel Decision

Koutrakos v. Long Island College Hospital

This case addresses the distribution of funds from a wrongful death settlement, specifically concerning a workmen's compensation lien and plaintiff's attorney fees. The court examined whether Workmen's Compensation Law § 29, subd. 1, which mandates full reimbursement of the carrier's lien without contribution to attorney fees, is constitutional. It found the provision unconstitutional, arguing it unjustly burdens the plaintiff—a widow with infant children—by forcing her to cover legal costs for the carrier's benefit. The court concluded that such a statutory requirement violates due process and equal protection clauses of both Federal and New York State Constitutions, and abrogates the constitutional right to a full recovery for death-related injuries.

Wrongful DeathWorkmen's Compensation LienAttorney's FeesConstitutional LawDue ProcessEqual ProtectionUnjust EnrichmentSubrogationSettlement DisbursementJudiciary Law
References
1
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