Hofferber v. Hastings Utils.
Annotate this CaseEmployee was injured and began receiving disability benefits. Later, Employer and its workers' compensation insurance carrier (collectively Employer) stopped paying Employee benefits because of his lack of cooperation in obtaining treatment and adhering to his pain rehabilitation program. Employee petitioned for past-due benefits, rehabilitation, and future medical treatment. On February 29, 2008, the workers' compensation court ordered Employee to refrain from abusive communications and to enroll in a pain rehabilitation program. On March 28, 2008, the court dismissed Employee's petition and terminated his benefits for contempt and unreasonably refusing to cooperate. Later, Employee filed a further petition in the workers' compensation court, seeking further benefits. The trial court entered an order on January 10, 2010 vacating the March 28 order. A review panel affirmed and remanded to the trial court, holding that the workers' compensation court had no authority under the Nebraska Workers' Compensation Act to terminate Employee's right to future benefits for contemptuous behavior. The Supreme Court affirmed, holding that a compensation court is not authorized to dismiss a petition as a sanction for a party's conduct either because an injured worker failed to cooperate with treatment or rehabilitation or as an exercise of contempt authority.
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