Author: Samantha K. Levasseur

Connecticut / COVID-19

Executive Order Creates Rebuttable Presumption for COVID-19 Workers’ Compensation Claims in Connecticut

On July 24, 2020, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont signed Executive Order 7JJJ, which creates a rebuttable presumption that a COVID-19 diagnosis arises out of and in the course of employment for workers in certain circumstances. As in other states that have created similar rebuttable presumptions, either by executive order or statute, the Connecticut rule applies to workers’ compensation claims by “essential” workers employed in one of the state’s 16 Critical Infrastructure Sectors as defined by the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development …

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Connecticut / General

COVID-19: Connecticut Workers’ Compensation Commission Institutes Temporary Emergency Guidelines

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Connecticut Workers’ Compensation Commission has instituted temporary emergency guidelines that will directly impact the day-to-day operations of the Commission as well as the speed at which cases will be heard. In response to this unprecedented event, the Commission has postponed all dockets for March 17, 2020 and March 18, 2020 to facilitate its transition to a primarily telephonic docket beginning March 19, 2020. Any emergency cases postponed due to the two-day closure will be scheduled for a telephonic …

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Connecticut

Mitigating Some of the Pitfalls Leading to Preclusion

Preclusion. In Connecticut Workers’ Compensation, it’s a word that employers, claims handlers, and respondent’s counsel alike hope never to have associated with one of their files. Which begs the questions, what exactly is preclusion? How can it come into a case? And how can it be avoided?

After a claimant serves the respondent and the Workers’ Compensation Commission with a notice of a claim for benefits (Form 30C), the respondent has 28 days to: 1) accept the claim; 2) properly contest the claim (Form 43); …

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