Alabama Workers' Comp Blawg

  • 08
  • Sep
  • 2014

Alabama Court Rules Exemption From Coverage Must be Revoked

Hooks v. Coastal Stone Works, Inc.

Released September 5, 2014

The Alabama Court of Civil Appeals ruled that an officer of a corporation must take action to revoke previous certification of exemption from workers’ compensation coverage pursuant to § 25-5-50(b).

On May 24, 2006, Hooks, along with two other officers of Coastal Stone Works, Inc., signed a certificate of exemption to be exempted from coverage under the Alabama Workers’ Compensation Act pursuant to § 25-5-60(b). On November 23, 2011, Hooks was injured and sought benefits under the Alabama Workers’ Compensation Act and filed suit. Coastal Stone Works, Inc. file a motion for summary judgment, which was ultimately granted the second time it was filed. It’s position was Hooks exempted himself in 2006 and never revoked the exemption. Hooks asserted that, if he did not file a certification of exemption each year, the exemption automatically revoked itself. There was no dispute that Hooks did not sign or file anything other than the certification of exemption submitted in May of 2006.

Hooks argued that § 25-5-60(b) states an officer of a corporation may elect annually to be exempt from coverage on the workers’ compensation act. Hooks interpreted this section to require him to annually elect to be exempted from coverage and if he did not the exemption was automatically revoked. Coast Stone Works, Inc. argued that this the provision goes on to state that the exemption may be revoked upon an officer filing a written certification electing to be covered. Coastal Stone Works, Inc. argued that this showed that the legislature intended the requested exemption to remain in effect until the officer revoked the exemption in writing.

The Court of Civil Appeals agreed with Coastal Stone Works, Inc. and stated that if the legislature had intended the exemption to revoke each year unless the officer requested the exemption again it would not have provided the method for revoking the exemption. The Court of Civil Appeals opined that § 25-5-60(b) required an officer to take action to revoke the previous certification of exemption as opposed to the revocation being automatic unless they file another certification of exemption.

MY TWO CENTS:

Any time you are dealing with an injury involving an officer of a corporation make sure to verify that they never submitted a written certification of exemption to the carrier and the Alabama Department of Labor. 

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

The article was written by Joshua G. Holden, Esq. a Member of Fish, Nelson & Holden, LLC, a law firm dedicated to representing employers, self-insured employers and insurance carriers in workers’ compensation and related liability matters. Mr. Holden is AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell, which is the highest rating an attorney can receive. Holden and his firm are members of The National Workers’ Compensation Defense Network (NWCDN). The NWCDN is a national and Canadian network of reputable law firms organized to provide employers and insurers access to the highest quality representation in workers’ compensation and related employer liability fields.

If you have questions about this article or Alabama workers’ compensation issues in general, please feel free to contact the author at jholden@fishnelson.com or 205-332-1428.

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