2023 Connecticut General Statutes
Title 31 - Labor
Chapter 568 - Workers' Compensation Act

*See Sec. 38a-470 re liens on workers' compensation awards in favor of insurers, hospital or medical service corporations or employee welfare benefit plans.

Theory of Workmen's Compensation Act. 89 C. 145; Id., 160; 93 C. 428; 105 C. 299; 120 C. 546. Act should be broadly construed to effectuate its purpose. 89 C. 146. It covers injury received out of state under a contract of employment made here. Id., 374; 111 C. 695. Liability rests on contract. Id., 682; 90 C. 220. Statute in force when the injury was received controls. 90 C. 220. One employed in another state but received injury here. 91 C. 524; 92 C. 371. Contracts made elsewhere for work wholly or partly done here considered. 99 C. 457; 103 C. 107. Proceedings for compensation are purely statutory. 101 C. 358. Affecting interstate commerce. 109 C. 97. Underlying purpose to protect employee, even to the extent of rendering nugatory his own agreement. 128 C. 579. Cited. 154 C. 48, 51. No change was made by 1961 act in previously existing determination of when employer is subject to act. 156 C. 276. Payments of awards hereunder should be made only in accordance with express statutory authority. 159 C. 53. Procedural avenue for bringing claims under Sec. 7-433c is Workmen's Compensation Act. 165 C. 615. “Employer”, within the meaning of chapter, entitled to summary judgment when sued by employee who had claimed and been awarded benefits under chapter. 167 C. 621. Cited. 168 C. 84. Lack of a definitive diagnosis does not preclude recovery under act. 175 C. 392; Id., 424. Cited. 176 C. 547; 178 C. 664. Where employee is injured by the negligence of a fellow employee, the sole remedy is under chapter except where the negligence is in the operation of a motor vehicle. 180 C. 469. Where personal injuries sustained in another state, applicable law is the law of the place of the employment relation; discussion of contract choice of law, tort choice of law and workers' compensation choice of law. 182 C. 24. Cited. 185 C. 616; 186 C. 623; 187 C. 53; 189 C. 550. These statutes are not the exclusive remedy for injuries arising out of and in the course of employment where injuries claimed are compensable under Sec. 7-433c. 193 C. 59. Cited. 193 C. 297; 194 C. 139; 196 C. 91. Where case clearly within scope of Workers' Compensation Act, there is no basis for action under Sec. 31-49. Id., 529. Cited. 200 C. 562; 201 C. 632. Meritorious workers' compensation claim by a minor illegally employed when injured not barred by decision permitting common law suit. 203 C. 34. Cited. Id., 324; 204 C. 104; Id., 563; 205 C. 219; 206 C. 242; Id., 495; 207 C. 88; Id., 420; Id., 665; 208 C. 576. Court declined to create exception to fellow employee rule of act. Id., 589. Cited. Id., 709; 209 C. 59; Id., 219; 210 C. 423; Id., 580; Id., 626; 212 C. 138; Id., 427. Does not apply to members of judiciary. 213 C. 54. Cited. 214 C. 181; Id., 189; Id., 394; Id., 552; 215 C. 206; 216 C. 29; Id., 237; 217 C. 42; Id., 50; 218 C. 9; Id., 19; Id., 46. Application of law to workers' firm out of state discussed. Id., 181. Cited. Id., 531; 219 C. 28. Public policy prohibiting double recovery discussed. Id., 439. Cited. Id., 581; Id., 674; 220 C. 721; 221 C. 29; Id., 41; Id., 336; Id., 465; 222 C. 78; Id., 744; Id., 769; 223 C. 336; Id., 492; 224 C. 8; Id., 382; 225 C. 165; 226 C. 282; Id., 404; Id., 508; Id., 569. Plaintiff's estate entitled to permanent partial disability award; judgment of Appellate Court in 26 CA 469 reversed. 227 C. 261. Cited. Id., 333; 228 C. 1; Id., 358; Id., 401; 229 C. 99; 231 C. 287; Id., 370; Id., 381. Judgment of Appellate Court in 33 CA 695 reversed and case remanded for further proceedings. Id., 469. Cited. Id., 529; Id., 690; 232 C. 91; Id., 311; Id., 758; Id., 780; 233 C. 14; Id., 251; 234 C. 51; 235 C. 185; Id., 778; 236 C. 330. A medical provider does not have standing before commission to initiate a claim in absence of claim by injured employee for benefits under act. 237 C. 1. Cited. Id., 490; 238 C. 285; Id., 637; 239 C. 19; Id., 408; Id., 676; 240 C. 788; 241 C. 170; Id., 282; Id., 692; 242 C. 255; Id., 375; Id., 432; Id., 570; 243 C. 66. Purpose of Workers' Compensation Act. 245 C. 66. Act to be construed broadly in order to serve its remedial purpose. 252 C. 641. Collateral estoppel applies to bar employer and its insurers from contesting cause of employee's death in action under Workers' Compensation Act which was preceded by judgment under the federal Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act, where same burden of proof applied in both proceedings. 255 C. 762. State Workers' Compensation Act has concurrent jurisdiction with federal Longshore and Harbor Workers Compensation Act over claims involving injuries sustained on navigable waters when employer and employee are locally based, employment contract was performed locally, injury occurred on state's territorial waters and employer required to secure compensation for land-based injuries sustained by employees. 283 C. 129. Superseding cause doctrine applies to certain cases under act. 305 C. 360. A workers' compensation insurer may maintain a common-law equitable subrogation action against a third-party tortfeasor who is liable for injuries sustained by an employee. 323 C. 254. Employer collaterally estopped from challenging employee's eligibility for benefits under the act where administrative law judge in federal proceeding applied a substantial factor standard in finding of compensability under the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act. 330 C. 231. Permanent disability benefits mature only after the degree of permanency has been fixed by way of an award or an agreement between the parties sufficient to establish a binding meeting of the minds. 331 C. 672.

Cited. 1 CA 58; Id., 264; 2 CA 255; 3 CA 40; Id., 162; Id., 246; Id., 450; Id., 547; 5 CA 369; 6 CA 60; Id., 265; 7 CA 19; Id., 142; Id., 296; Id., 575; 11 CA 391; 12 CA 138; 13 CA 208; 14 CA 178; 15 CA 84. Relationship of benefits awards under federal and state compensation laws arising from same injury discussed. Id., 615. Cited. 16 CA 65; Id., 121; Id., 437; Id., 660; Id., 676; 19 CA 273; 21 CA 9; judgment reversed, see 218 C. 46; Id., 20; Id., 107; Id., 610; 22 CA 88; 22 CA 539; judgment reversed, see 219 C. 439; 23 CA 325; 24 CA 234; Id., 362; Id., 719; Id., 739; 25 CA 350; Id., 492; 26 CA 194; 27 CA 800; 28 CA 113; Id., 226; Id., 660; 29 CA 249; Id., 441; Id., 618; 30 CA 295; Id., 630; Id., 729; 32 CA 16; Id., 595; 33 CA 99; Id., 667; 34 CA 521; Id., 708; 36 CA 150; Id., 635; judgment reversed, see 236 C. 330; 37 CA 392; Id., 835; 38 CA 1; Id., 73; 39 CA 28; 40 CA 278; Id., 409; 41 CA 430; Id., 664; 42 CA 147; Id., 200; Id., 542; Id., 803; 44 CA 1; Id., 771; 45 CA 324; Id., 441; 46 CA 298; Id., 596; Id., 699; Id., 712. Workers' Compensation Act does not permit double compensation. 49 CA 66. Employer not required to prove existence and breach of an independent legal duty in seeking indemnification from third party under circumstances of case; act should be broadly construed but its remedial purpose cannot transcend its statutorily defined jurisdictional boundaries. 53 CA 72. Board properly found that commissioner could reconsider prior findings and that the record supported conclusions. Id., 671. One purpose of workers' compensation statute is the avoidance of two independent compensations for an injury. 57 CA 406. Chapter imposes a form of strict liability on employer. Id., 472. Workers' Compensation Act discussed re whether employee's injury occurred within the scope of employment. 58 CA 109. Compensation Review Board derives its authority from Workers' Compensation Act, which grants no authority to board to open a decision. 86 CA 880. The legislature did not intend to impose on employer the double burden of back wages and workers' compensation payments for the same period of unemployment. 115 CA 306. Because insurer otherwise complied with statutory notice requirements set forth in Workers' Compensation Act, its cancellation of workers' compensation policy was effective at the time employee was injured. 121 CA 144. Re conflict of law, when Connecticut was plaintiff's residence and place of employment contract's formation, Connecticut law may be applied to claim for workers' compensation benefits. 124 CA 215. Claimant did not establish a significant relationship between Connecticut and the decedent's employment relationship with his employer as required for a claim under act where decedent was a salesman whose sales territory was outside Connecticut. 132 CA 794. A stipulated settlement agreement, even when prepared by defendant, is unenforceable under act unless signed by both parties and approved by commissioner. 149 CA 725.

Cited. 9 CS 471. Minor employed in violation of child-labor statute is entitled to workmen's compensation. 12 CS 304. Employee's return to work does not relieve employer from liability under act. Id., 453. Cited. 23 CS 55. Cases under act are on a different basis than actions between ordinary litigants. 31 CS 331. Cited. 38 CS 331. Where plaintiff brought action under both this statute and Sec. 7-433c, he was not required to assume greater burden of proving compensability under this statute. Id., 359. Cited. 39 CS 102; Id., 250; 40 CS 165; Id., 253; 41 CS 115; Id., 326; 42 CS 168; 44 CS 510. Employer's motion for summary judgment denied under substantial certainty doctrine where employer failed to provide money carrier with bullet-proof vest despite employer's mandate that employees wear such vests. 47 CS 30.