Presents

Affirmative Defenses

By:

Ofer Holzman Jack D. Hoskins

Gerald C. MacRae and

Matthew J. Fernstrom

TableofContents•  LC5705 2-3•  Ini8alPhysicalAggressor 4-6 •  Horseplay 7-8•  Intoxica8on 9-11•  SelfInflictedInjury 12-13•  Suicide 14-15•  StatuteofLimita8ons 16-21

•  IndependentContractor 22-26

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Affirmative Defenses Inallcasestheburdenofproofrestsuponthepartyholdingtheaffirma8veontheissueCALaborCode5705

LaborCode5705outlinesthedefensestoaclaimwheretheburdenshiOsfromtheapplicanttotheEmployer

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Affirma8veDefenses•  5705

–  IndependentContractorStatus–  Intoxica8on–  StatuteofLimita8ons

•  OtherAffirma8veDefenses–  SelfInflictedInjury–  Suicide–  Ini8alAggressor–  Horseplay–  Coverage

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Ini8alPhysicalAggressorNocompensa8onispayableforInjuriesarisingoutofanalterca8oninwhichtheinjuredemployeeistheini8alphysicalaggressorLCSec8on3600(a)(7)

Cons8tu8onaldespiteananalysisofwhoisatfaultMathewsv.WCAB37CCC124(1974)

Whatisaphysicalaggressor?Thefirstpersontoengageinconductthatareasonablepersonwouldperceivetobeareal,presentandapparentthreattobodilyharmMar8nezv.WCAB41CCC51(1976)

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Ini8alPhysicalAggressorCon8nued

•  VerbalAggressionvs.PhysicalAggression– Requirementofanovertact–  intentandabilitytocausebodilyharm– Noneedforactualphysicalcontact

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Ini8alPhysicalAggressorCon8nuedDoesnotapplywhennointentforbodilyharm(horseplay,prank)ac8onposesnorealdangeractedtorestrainanothertoavoidviolencedispropor8onateretalia8on

Subjectmaberofdispute–AOEAninjurysustainedinanalterca8onduetoanimosityunrelatedtotheemploymentdoesnotariseoutoftheemployment

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Horseplay Aninjurysufferedbyanemployeewhoini8atedorisawillingpar8cipantinhorseplayisnoncompensable

Horseplay–nonworkrelatedac-vi-eswhichhaveaninherentpoten-alforinjuryHorseplayisdis8nguishedfroman“alterca8on”byanabsenceofanimosityorawillingnesstoinflictbodilyharmMabhewsv.WCAB37CCC124

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HorseplayCon8nuedAninnocentbystanderemployeeinjuredduringhorseplayisnotbarredfromrecovery

ThehorseplaydefensedoesnotapplywhentheemployercondonesthehorseplayHodgesv.WCAB43CCC879(1978)

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Intoxica8onAninjurycausedbyintoxica8onbyalcoholortheunlawfuluseofacontrolledsubstanceisnon-compensableLC3600(a)(4)

“Controlledsubstance”shallhavethesamemeaningasdescribedinsec8on11007ofHealthandSafetyCode

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Intoxica8onCon8nuedMustshowactualintoxica8on,notmerelyatraceorsimplepresenceofalcoholorcontrolledsubstanceintheemployeessystemat8meofinjuryFactualanalysistodeterminewhethersomeonewasintoxicated: -whatwastaken -howmuch -sizeofperson -person’sac8ons

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Intoxica8onCon8nuedDefenseRequiresShowingofProximateCause

i.e.didtheintoxica8oncausetheinjuryAfindingthattheintoxica8onwasa“substan8alfactor”incausingtheinjurywasfoundtobesufficientSmithv.EdSmithWelding(1981)46CCC1053

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SelfInflictedInjury•  SelfinflictedinjuriesarenotcompensableLC3600(a)(5)•  “SelfInflicted”

– Ac8onwasintendedbytheemployee–  Employeeintendedtoinjureselfwhenac8ngNobenefitsdueeveniftheinjuryisgreaterthantheyoriginallyintended

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SelfInflictedInjuryCon8nued

•  Mustshowintentwastoinjureoneselfandnotsimplyanimpulsiveact– “Employeeswhomerelyactrashlyorimpulsivelyneitherexpectnorintendtonecessarilyhurtthemselvesnoraretheirresul8ngworkrelatedinjuriesautoma8callynon-compensable.”Smithv.WCAB65CCC277

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Suicide•  WillfullyanddeliberatelycausingonesowndeathisnoncompensableLC3600(a)(6)

•  Mustshowthatthesuicidewasavoluntaryact– DidthedeceasedemployeehavetheabilitytoresisttheimpulsetocommittheactBeauchampv.WCAB(1968)33CCC112

– Abilitytoresistimpulseisamedicalques8on,painandextremejobstresshavebothbeenfoundtobeindustrialfactorsleadingtoanirresis8bleimpulse

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SuicideCon8nued•  SuicideDefenseDoesNotApplyWhenCompensableConsequenceSuicideisFound– Suicidethatresultsfromanunderlyingcompensableinjury

– Underlyingcompensableinjurycreatesirresis8bleimpulse

• WithouttheunderlyinginjurytherewouldhavebeennosuicideBallardv.WCAB(1979)36CCC34(enbanc)

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StatuteofLimita8ons

•  LC5400etseq.•  StatutesofLimita8onsareliberallyconstruedinfavorofemployeesGraniteConstruc8onCo.v.WCAB(2003)112Cal.App.4th1453

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StatuteofLimita8onsCon8nued

Establishingproperno-ceofrightstoworkers’compensa8on–  Signage/WallPos8ngLC3550

•  EmployeeHandbookwithsignature–  Employersdutytogiveclaimformandno8ceofworkers’compensa8onrightsLC5401

Employerno8cefulfilledwhenapplicantknowsinjurywasworkrelatedandofrighttofileKaiserv.WCAB(1985)39Cal.3d57,64-65.

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StatuteofLimita8onsCon8nued

•  OneyearSOLforclaimsLC5405•  Laterof:

– DateofInjury•  SpecificInjuryLC5411

–  DateofIncident•  CTLC5412

–  Kneworshouldhaveknownitwasworkrelated– Dateoflastindemnitypayment– Dateoflastfurnishingmedicalbenefits

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StatuteofLimita8onsCon8nued

•  ClaimsBarred:– Employeeknowsinjurycausedbyworkandawareofrights

•  Doctorinformingemployeethatinjurywork-related•  KnowledgeofWCproceduresfrompriorclaims•  Acknowledgmentbyapplicant

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StatuteofLimita8onsCon8nued

•  ClaimsNotBarred:–  Laybeliefofindustrialcausa8onbecauseinjuryhappenedatwork

– Generalawarenessofworkcompsystem–  Reten8onofAborney,Aborneyknowledgenotimputed

–  ExistenceofDoctor’sreportre:injuryifemployeeunawareofreport

–  Treatmentwithnonindustrialtreater

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StatuteofLimita8onsCon8nued•  StatuteofLimita8onsforvariousclaims

–  S&WLC54071yearfromDOI•  Notextendedbypaymentofbenefits/filingofapplica8on

–  LC132a1yearfromdateofdiscrimina8on/termina8on

– NewandFurtherDisabilityLC54105yearsfromDOI– DeathBenefitsLC54061yearfromdateofdeathorlastbenefit

–  Liens3yearsfromlastDOSiflastDOSPRE7/1/13,18monthsforlastDOSAFTER7/1/13LC4903.5

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IndependentContractor•  Anypersonwhorendersserviceforaspecifiedamountfor

aspecifiedresult,underthecontrolofhisprincipalastotheresultofhisworkonlyandnotastothemeansbywhichtheresultisaccomplishedLC3353

•  IndependentContractorstatusisliberallyconstruedinfavoroffindingtheinjuredindividualtobeanemployeeLC3202

•  Anypersonrenderingserviceforanother,otherthananindependentcontractor,ispresumedtobeanemployeeLC3357

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IndependentContractorCon8nued

“Therighttocontrolthemeansbywhichtheworkisaccomplishedisthemostsignificanttestoftheemploymentrela8onship”Tiebergv.UnemploymentIns.App.Bd.(1970)2Cal3d493

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IndependentContractorCon8nued•  Ques8onstoAskWhenDeterminingStatus:

–  Isthepersoninques8onengagedinadis8nctoccupa8onorbusiness?

–  Isthekindofworkbeingperformedusuallydonebyaspecialistwithoutsupervision?

–  Whatistheskilllevelrequiredinthepar8cularoccupa8on?–  Whatisthelengthof8metheservicesarebeingperformed?–  Whatisthemethodofpayment,isitby8meorbyjob?–  Istheworkpartoftheregularbusinessoftheemployer?–  Whoprovidesthetools/instrumentali8es?S.G.Borello&Sons,Inc.v.DepartmentofIndustrialRela8ons(1989)48Cal.3d341

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IndependentContractorCon8nuedDeemedanEmployee:CleaningPerson-workedforapartmentmanager,dura8on,payment

TaxPreparer-noindependentclients

GolfCaddie-clubsupervised,dress,behavior,typesofservice

Sharefarmers-inspiteofcontractasindependentcontractor,control

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IndependentContractorCon8nuedDeemedanIndependentContractor:Gardener-workedformanyclients,noonetoldhimhowtodothejob

UniversityStudent-injuryassis8ngprofessorinfield,not“renderingservices”

TruckDriver-equipment,lumpsumpayment,paidwith1099,notaxeswithheld

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Recommenda8ons•  Affirma8veDefensesRequireFactSpecificInves8ga8on– Witnessstatements(Aborneyv.Inves8gator)– Deposi8onofApplicant

•  RaisetheDefenseintheDenialNo8ce/Answer•  SetforAOE/COETrialASAP

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THANKYOU

OH@GLHLEGAL.COMJH@GLHLEGAL.COMGM@GLHLEGAL.COMMF@GLHLEGAL.COMPhone:818883-5450

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