
How the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s Decision in Kamara Changes the Legal Landscape for Workers’ Compensation Subrogation and Successfully Moving Forward
On November 21, 2018, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision, reversed the Superior Court stating a right of action in Pennsylvania remains with the injured employee. Specifically, the court held that “unless the injured employee assigns her cause of action or voluntarily joins the litigation as a party plaintiff, the insurer may not enforce its statutory right to subrogation by filing an action directly against the tortfeasor.”
The Kamara decision immediately changes the way insurers must proceed with workers’ compensation subrogation lien recovery lawsuits and follows on the heels of the previous Liberty Mutual v. Domtar decision, which covered similar issues concerning an insurer’s direct right of suit in Pennsylvania.
Following the Domtar decision, it appeared clear from language within the vigorous dissents of Justices Saylor and Todd, who also dissented in Kamara, that it remained permissible for insurers to pursue lien reimbursements directly, without the participation of the injured worker, by suing as “Use” plaintiffs with correctly-styled captions. Employing the Use plaintiff blueprint, Hartford, as subrogee of Chunli Chen, filed suit against Kafumba Kamara (Kamara) and Thrifty Rental Car just prior to the expiration of the statute of limitations. A Hartford Subrogation Specialist verified the complaint.
Kamara filed preliminary objections to Hartford’s complaint on two grounds. First, Kamara cited the majority opinion in Domtar and argued that insurers have no direct right of suit. Second, Kamara argued that the verification was not signed by a person with first-hand knowledge of the facts alleged in the complaint. The trial court sustained the preliminary objections and dismissed Hartford’s action. Hartford appealed and the Superior Court reversed the trial court, finding that Hartford complied with Domtar’s requirement that an insurer’s right of subrogation, under §319 of the Workers' Compensation Act, be achieved through a single action by suing as a Use plaintiff. The Superior Court also held that Hartford’s verification was valid because Hartford had a real interest in the lawsuit. Notably, in Kamara, the injured worker had neither assigned her cause of action to Hartford, nor voluntarily joined in the litigation.
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court accepted Kamara’s appeal to decide whether an insurer suing as a Use plaintiff is any different from an insurer suing as a subrogee, thereby protecting against a split cause of action and accommodating an injured worker’s right to pursue a pain and suffering claim. The Supreme Court took much of its opinion from the language of the amicus brief filed by the Pennsylvania Association of Justice, the Plaintiffs’ Bar in Pennsylvania. The court held that merely changing a caption to sue as a Use plaintiff does not give insurers a direct right of suit without an assignment or the injured worker’s participation in the suit. The court arrived at its decision despite the clear right to subrogation advanced by the statute. Although the court noted that allowing insurers to pursue subrogation claims would further the purposes of the Workers' Compensation Act, the court noted that it was for the legislature, not the court, to create a remedy to cure any deficiencies identified by its ruling.
While controversy exists over the Kamara analysis, there are now two Supreme Court decisions denying insurers a direct right of action to recover their worker’s compensation liens in Pennsylvania.
So, where do we go from here? Below, we set forth our recommendations for lien recoveries in a post-Kamara world.
- First, it remains our position that workers’ compensation subrogation claims remain alive and well in Pennsylvania. In order to continue to make strong lien recoveries, subrogation professionals and their attorneys will need to continue aggressive investigation activities once an injury occurs to analyze whether subrogation potential exists. These activities continue to include information gathering, evidence preservation, witness interviews, insured participation, expert retention if necessary and legal theory development.
- If no third party counsel is involved, it is our recommendation that we interview the injured worker as part of our worker’s compensation subrogation investigation to determine whether the injured worker intends to pursue litigation. Depending upon his/her response, we will recommend proceeding in accordance with other recommendations offered below. This arrangement will also avoid any Kamara issues.
- If third party counsel is involved early, it remains our recommendation to attempt to work with third party counsel, especially in view of Kamara, as doing so could take Kamara out of the equation.
- Finally, if third party counsel is not involved and the worker is not interested in pursuing litigation, we recommend sending a “Kamara Letter” to the injured worker. As referenced above, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court opined that, absent an assignment of the cause of action to the insurer from the injured worker or voluntary joinder into the litigation, there is no direct right to sue. Accordingly, we are preparing a Kamara Letter to be sent to injured workers who fit the non-participation profile. This letter will contain substantial information including the notice elements which appeared to concern the Supreme Court. For example, we recommend the following items be included in the Kamara Letter:
- the parties involved;
- the date and location of the loss;
- the statute of limitations date;
- the right to seek independent counsel; and
- the intent of the insurer to file a lawsuit upon assignment of the cause of action and the expected date the lawsuit will be filed.
Additionally, and perhaps most importantly under the Kamara decision, the letter should contain language requesting the injured worker assign his/her cause of action to the insurer, explicitly stating the rights given up as a result of this assignment. In this regard, the New Jersey statute may be looked to as a model to advise the worker that the subrogating carrier will be suing in his or her name and, in addition to suing for the lien, will be pursuing their pain and suffering claims. It is our opinion that if challenged, such a letter should satisfy additional legal challenges as to the sufficiency of any assignment as the specific requirements were not discussed in the Kamara decision.
A signature line should also be provided along with a self–addressed, stamped, envelope for return of the signed assignment. The letter will be sent via Certified and Regular mail, again mirroring the New Jersey rules. Finally, the letter will include prominent language stating, in part, that failure to sign and return the letter will be deemed acceptance of the assignment of the cause of action subject to all of the terms contained therein. This language will be prominently placed in the letter with the expectation that a certain number of injured workers will either purposely or unwittingly ignore this correspondence.
While the Kamara decision is an unwelcome one, Pennsylvania remains a good jurisdiction for workers’ compensation subrogation. We believe that with proper notice, even in cases where injured workers do not pursue claims, insurers may still be able to recover their liens through assignment as discussed above.
If you have questions or would like more information, please contact Robert Caplan (caplanr@whiteandwilliams.com; 215.864.7012).
Recent Posts
Categories
- Products Liability
- CPSC Recalls
- Construction Defects
- Statute of Limitations-Repose
- Minnesota
- California
- Experts – Daubert
- Maryland
- Jurisdiction
- CPSC Warning
- Rhode Island
- Experts - Reliability
- Podcast
- Anti-Subrogation Rule
- Workers' Compensation
- Uncategorized
- Negligence
- New York
- Contracts
- Cargo - Transportation
- Landlord-Tenant
- Sutton Doctrine
- Waiver of Subrogation
- Arbitration
- Texas
- Pennsylvania
- AIA Contracts
- Evidence
- Florida
- Economic Loss Rule
- Malpractice
- Wyoming
- Spoliation
- Tennessee
- Water Loss
- Indiana
- Michigan
- Comparative-Contributory Negligence
- Contribution-Apportionment
- Assignment
- Missouri
- Parties
- Public Policy
- Civil Procedure
- New Jersey
- Res Judicata
- Arkansas
- Damages
- Damages – Personal Property
- Product Liability
- Arizona
- Certificate of Merit
- Litigation
- West Virginia
- Oklahoma
- Builder's Risk
- Contractual Subrogation
- Equitable Subrogation
- Georgia
- Illinois
- Insurable Interest
- Limitation of Liability
- Mississippi
- Made Whole
- Delaware
- Settlement
- Subrogation – Equitable
- Construction
- Premises Liability
- Joint or Several Liability
- Montana
- Duty
- Privity
- New Mexico
- Right to Repair Act
- Massachusetts
- Landlord
- Tenant
- Building Code
- Causation
- Architects-Engineers
Tags
- Subrogation
- Products Liability
- Construction Defects
- Product Liability
- Podcast
- Minnesota
- California
- Subro Sessions
- Experts
- Jurisdiction
- Maryland
- Texas
- Statute of Repose
- Jurisdiction - Personal
- Statute of Limitations - Accrual
- Experts – Daubert
- Waiver of Subrogation
- Rhode Island
- CPSC Recalls; Products Liability
- Contracts
- Negligence
- Civil Procedure
- Landlord-Tenant
- Experts - Reliability
- Pennsylvania
- Georgia
- Certificate of Merit
- Louisiana
- Amazon-eBay
- Made Whole
- Economic Loss Doctrine
- New York
- Florida
- Construction Contracts
- Anti-Subrogation Rule
- Illinois
- Experts – Qualifications
- New Jersey
- Parties
- Ohio
- Right to Repair Act
- Statute of Limitations - Tolling
- Contracts - Enforcement
- Arizona
- Sutton Doctrine
- West Virginia
- Indiana
- Design Defect
- Spoliation
- Water Damage
- Evidence
- Evidence - Hearsay
- Connecticut
- Damages
- Privity
- Condominiums
- Massachusetts
- Tennessee
- Statute of Limitations
- workers' compensation subrogation
- Limitation of Liability
- Apportionment
- Expert Qualifications
- Exculpatory Clause
- Amazon
- Arbitration
- Negligence – Duty
- Wisconsin
- Workers’ Compensation
- Public Policy
- Missouri
- Negligent Undertaking
- Statute of Limitations - Contractual
- Delaware
- Loss of Use
- Vehicles
- Indemnification
- Architects-Engineers
- Washington
- AIA Contract
- Warranty - Implied
- Res Judicata
- Settlement
- Statute of Limitations - Repose
- Improvement
- Michigan
- Malpractice
- Idaho
- Internet Sales
- Non-Party at Fault
- Spoliation – Fire Scene
- Gross Negligence
- Malfunction Theory; Design Defect
- Mississippi
- Statute of Limitations – Discovery Rule
- Independent Duty
- Cargo-Transportation
- Contribution
- Implied Warranty of Habitability
- Warranty - Construction
- North Carolina
- Utah
- Standing
- Comparative Fault
- Circumstantial Evidence
- Res Ipsa
- New Mexico
- Contracts - Formation
- Unconscionable
- Failure to Warn
- Manufacturing Defect
- Pleading
- Removal
- Entire Controversy Doctrine
- Motion to Intervene
- Subrogation; High-Net-Worth; Damages; Art; Cargo-Transportation; Anti-Subrogation Rule
- Nevada
- Virginia
- Products Liability – Risk-Utility
- Lithium-ion battery
- Burden of Proof
- Anti-Subrogation Rule; Wyoming; Landlord-Tenant; Sutton Doctrine
- New Hampshire
- Oklahoma
- Sanctions
- Builder’s Risk
- Contractual Subrogation
- Equitable Subrogation
- Insurable Interest
- Joint-Tortfeasors
- Arkansas
- Kentucky
- Daubert
- Fire - Cigarettes
- Colorado
- Causation
- Third Party
- Discovery-Sanctions
- Accepted Work
- Malfunction Theory
- Montana
- Independent Contractor
- Privilege
- Betterment
- Damages-Code Upgrades
- Insurance Coverage
- First Party Claims
- Forum-Venue
- Warranty – Express
- AIA Contracts
- Anti-Indemnity Statutes
- Products Liability - Foreseeability
- Discovery - Experts
- MCS-90
- Substantial Completion
- Reimbursement
- Assignment
- Counterclaim
- Products Liability; Malfunction Theory
- Economic Loss Rule
- Unfair Trade Practices
- Evidence – Probative Value
- Parties – Real Party in Interest
- Status of Repose
- Evidence - Public
- Construction Defects - Fixtures
- Subrogation – Equitable
- Additional Insured
- Trespass
- Contract
- COVID-19
- Incorporation by Reference
- Damages – Emotional Distress
- Oregon
- Third Party Spoliation
- No-Fault Subrogation
- Products Liability; Mississippi
- Inverse Condemnation
- Jury Instructions
- Food and Beverage
- South Carolina
- California Court of Appeals Holds Subrogating Carrier Cannot Assert Claims of Its Suspended Insured
- Debt Collection
- Medical Benefits
- Montreal Convention
- Immunity
- Products Li
- Wyoming
- Release
- Liens
- Kansas
Authors
Archives
- March 2025
- February 2025
- January 2025
- December 2024
- November 2024
- October 2024
- September 2024
- August 2024
- July 2024
- June 2024
- May 2024
- April 2024
- March 2024
- February 2024
- January 2024
- December 2023
- November 2023
- October 2023
- September 2023
- August 2023
- July 2023
- June 2023
- May 2023
- April 2023
- March 2023
- February 2023
- January 2023
- December 2022
- November 2022
- October 2022
- September 2022
- August 2022
- July 2022
- June 2022
- May 2022
- April 2022
- March 2022
- February 2022
- January 2022
- December 2021
- November 2021
- October 2021
- September 2021
- August 2021
- July 2021
- June 2021
- May 2021
- April 2021
- March 2021
- February 2021
- January 2021
- December 2020
- November 2020
- October 2020
- September 2020
- August 2020
- July 2020
- June 2020
- May 2020
- April 2020
- March 2020
- February 2020
- January 2020
- December 2019
- November 2019
- October 2019
- September 2019
- August 2019
- July 2019
- June 2019
- May 2019
- April 2019
- March 2019
- February 2019
- January 2019
- December 2018
- November 2018
- October 2018
- September 2018
- August 2018
- July 2018
- June 2018
- May 2018
- April 2018
- March 2018
- February 2018
- January 2018
- December 2017
- November 2017
- October 2017
- September 2017
- August 2017
- July 2017
- June 2017
- May 2017
- April 2017
- March 2017
- February 2017
- January 2017
- December 2016
- November 2016
- October 2016
- September 2016
- August 2016
- July 2016
- June 2016
- May 2016
- April 2016
- March 2016
- February 2016
- January 2016
- December 2015
- November 2015
- October 2015
- September 2015
- August 2015
- July 2015
- June 2015
- February 2015
- January 2015
- November 2014
- October 2014
- September 2014
- May 2014
- April 2014
- December 2013
- August 2013
- May 2013
- February 2013