§ 2347 Review by Board of agreements or awards; grounds; modification of award.

19 DE Code § 2347 (2019) (N/A)
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On the application of any party in interest on the ground that the incapacity of the injured employee has subsequently terminated, increased, diminished or recurred or that the status of the dependent has changed, the Board may at any time, but not oftener than once in 6 months, review any agreement or award.

On such review, the Board may make an award ending, diminishing, increasing or renewing the compensation previously agreed upon or awarded, and designating the persons entitled thereto, subject to this chapter, and shall state its conclusions of facts and rulings of law. The Department shall immediately send to the parties a copy of the award by personal delivery, by secure email with electronic receipt, or by certified mail.

This section shall not apply to a commutation of payments under § 2358 of this title.

Compensation payable to an employee, under this chapter, shall not terminate until and unless the Board enters an award ending the payment of compensation after a hearing upon review of an agreement or award, provided that no petition for review, hearing or an order by the Board shall be necessary to terminate compensation where the parties to an award or an agreement consent to the termination. No petition for review shall be accepted by the Department unless it is accompanied by proof that a copy of the petition for review has been served by certified mail upon the other party to the agreement or award. Within 5 days after the filing of a petition for review, the Department shall notify each party concerned of the time, date and place scheduled for the hearing upon the petition.

Compensation shall be paid by the Department to the employee after the filing of the employer’s petition to review from the Workers’ Compensation Fund until the parties to an award or agreement consent to the termination or until the Board enters an order upon the employer’s petition to review. After the parties to an award or agreement consent to the reinstatement of compensation or, after the employer withdraws its petition, or, if the Industrial Accident Board orders the employer’s petition dismissed, the employer shall repay to the Workers’ Compensation Fund the amount paid out by the Department. A petition to review must be withdrawn whenever the parties to an agreement settle the claim without a hearing before the Board or whenever an employee consents to a termination after a petition to review has been filed with the Board.

The first 2 sentences of the fifth paragraph of this section shall apply only to employers insured by insurance carriers. Nor shall they apply to self-insured employers who shall be responsible for payment of their own claims under this section.

Upon any order imposed by the Insurance Commissioner under § 2411(e) of Title 18 requiring payment of restitution following a finding of insurance fraud, and after all rights of appeal from said order have been waived or exhausted, the Board shall, upon motion of the party to whom restitution was ordered and after hearing and opportunity to be heard, allow a credit against benefits payable under §§ 2324, 2325 and/or 2326 of this title, for any restitution ordered by the Insurance Commissioner remaining unpaid. The Board shall also review orders establishing such credits upon motion based upon any change in circumstances that may warrant modification or rescission of a prior order.

Code 1915, § 3193q; 29 Del. Laws, c. 233; Code 1935, § 6086; 19 Del. C. 1953, § 2347; 50 Del. Laws, c. 66, § 1; 58 Del. Laws, c. 529, § 1; 59 Del. Laws, c. 454, § 6; 71 Del. Laws, c. 84, §§ 9, 15; 71 Del. Laws, c. 422, § 2; 76 Del. Laws, c. 1, § 17; 81 Del. Laws, c. 333, § 1.