Subdivision 1. Parties not awarded costs. Except as provided otherwise by this chapter and specifically by this section, in appeals before the court of appeals or proceedings before the division or a compensation judge, costs shall not be awarded to any party.

Subd. 2. Disbursements, taxation. The commissioner or compensation judge, or the Workers' Compensation Court of Appeals on cases before the court, may award the prevailing party reimbursement for actual and necessary disbursements. Disbursements shall be taxed upon ten days' written notice to adverse parties.

Subd. 3. Attorney fee, allowance. Where (1) an award of compensation is affirmed, or modified and affirmed, (2) an order disallowing compensation is reversed, or (3) a petition to vacate an award is granted, the Workers' Compensation Court of Appeals may include in its award an amount to cover a reasonable attorney fee or may allow an attorney fee in a proceeding to tax disbursements.

If the employer or insurer files a notice of discontinuance of an employee's benefits and an administrative conference is held to resolve the dispute, but the employer or insurer fails to attend the administrative conference, the commissioner or compensation judge may order the employer or insurer to pay the employee's attorney fees as a cost under this section if the employee's benefits are continued.

Subd. 4. Costs and disbursements on certiorari. On review by the supreme court upon certiorari, costs and disbursements shall be taxed as they are upon appeals in civil actions.

Subd. 5. Attorney fee on certiorari. Where upon a review by the supreme court upon certiorari, an award of compensation is affirmed, or modified and affirmed, or an order disallowing compensation is reversed, the court may allow a reasonable attorney fee incident to the review. This allowance of an attorney fee shall be made a part of the judgment order of the supreme court.

History: 1953 c 755 s 68; 1969 c 276 s 2; 1973 c 388 s 126; 1975 c 271 s 6; 1975 c 359 s 19,23; 1976 c 134 s 78; 1977 c 342 s 22; 1981 c 346 s 133; 1985 c 234 s 16,17; 1987 c 332 s 95-97; 2016 c 110 art 1 s 5,6