Haw. Rev. Stat. § 392-45

Current through the 2024 Legislative Session

Section 392-45 - Subrogation rights if employee entitled to workers' compensation benefits or indemnity under employers' liability acts

(a) If an individual has received temporary disability benefits under this chapter during a period of disability for which benefits for any disability under the Workers' Compensation Law of this State or of any other state or of the United States are subsequently awarded or accepted in any agreement or compromise, the employer, the association of employers, the insurer, or the trust fund for disability benefits, as the case may be, providing such temporary disability benefits shall be subrogated to the individual's right to such benefits in the amount of the benefits paid under this chapter.

In the event more than one employer or insurer have subrogation rights to the employee's workers' compensation benefits, such benefits shall be divided proportionately among the employers or insurers according to the amount of benefits each employer or insurer paid under this chapter. Should the subrogated amount of either one or both employers or insurers total less than the amount of benefits that such employers or insurers paid under this chapter, neither the employee nor the trust fund for disability benefits nor any other source shall be required to make up the difference.

To protect its subrogation rights to benefits payable under the Workers' Compensation Law of this State, the employer, the association of employers, the insurer, or the trust fund for disability benefits, providing temporary disability benefits shall file a claim with the division of workers' compensation in the department and notify the insurer for workers' compensation or the employer, if self-insured, of its claim and thereupon the employer, the association of employers, the insurer, or the trust fund for disability benefits, providing temporary disability benefits shall have a lien against the amounts payable as benefits for disability under the Workers' Compensation Law in the amount of the benefits paid under this chapter during the period for which benefits for disability under the Workers' Compensation Law have been accepted or awarded as payable. The agreement or award shall include a provision setting forth the existence and amount of such lien.

(b) If an individual has received benefits under this chapter during a period of disability for which the individual is entitled to receive indemnity payments for wage loss under any applicable employers' liability law of this State or of any other state or of the United States, the employer, the association of employers, the insurer, or the trust fund for disability benefits, providing temporary disability benefits shall be subrogated to the individual's right to such indemnity in the amount of the benefits paid under this chapter and may assert its subrogation rights in any manner appropriate under such acts or any rule of law.

HRS § 392-45

L 1969, c 148, pt of §1; am L 1971, c 109, §1(h); am L 1975, c 41, §1; gen ch 1985