- 17
- Mar
- 2020
COVID-19 Impact on Alabama Courts and ADOL Ombudsman Program
Alabama Court Appearances Temporarily Suspended
On March 13, 2020, the Alabama Supreme Court issued an administrative order which suspended all court appearances for 30 days. On March 15, 2020, the Court issued a second order which clarified that the first order only applied to in-person court proceedings.
Alabama Department of Labor Ombudsman Availability
The Alabama Workers’ Compensation Reform Act of 1992 established an Ombudsman Program. Ombudsmen travel the state and assist with finalizing settlements and also act as mediators at no cost to the parties. Currently, it has been left up to the individual ombudsmen whether or not they wish to travel or attend in person mediations or benefit review conferences.
About the Author
This blog submission was prepared by Mike Fish, an attorney with Fish Nelson & Holden, LLC, a law firm dedicated to representing self-insured employers, insurance carriers, and third party administrators in all matters related to workers’ compensation. Fish Nelson & Holden is a member of the National Workers’ Compensation Defense Network. If you have any questions about this submission or Alabama workers’ compensation in general, please contact Fish by e-mailing him at mfish@fishnelson.com or by calling him directly at 205-332-1448.