48-118.01. Third-party claims; procedure; attorney's fees.

Before making a claim or bringing suit against a third person by the employee or his or her personal representative or by the employer or his or her workers' compensation insurer, thirty days' notice shall be given to the other potential parties, unless such notice is waived in writing, of the opportunity to join in such claim or action and to be represented by counsel. If a party entitled to notice cannot be found, the clerk of the Nebraska Workers' Compensation Court shall become the agent of such party for giving notice as required in this section. The notice when given to the clerk of the compensation court shall include an affidavit setting forth the facts, including the steps taken to locate such party.

After the expiration of thirty days, for failure to receive notice or other good cause shown, the district court before which the action is pending shall allow either party to intervene in such action, and if no action is pending then the district court in which it could be brought shall allow either party to commence such action. Each party shall have an equal voice in the claim and the prosecution of such suit, and any dispute arising shall be passed upon by the court before which the case is pending and if no action is pending then by the district court in which such action could be brought.

If the employee or his or her personal representative or the employer or his or her workers' compensation insurer join in prosecuting such claim and are represented by counsel, the reasonable expenses and the attorney's fees shall be, unless otherwise agreed upon, divided between such attorneys as directed by the court before which the case is pending and if no action is pending then by the district court in which such action could be brought.

Source

Annotations

In this section, the use of the term "the court" refers to the district court. In re Estate of Evertson, 295 Neb. 301, 889 N.W.2d 73 (2016).

This section and sections 48-118 through 48-118.04 should be read as a whole. In re Estate of Evertson, 295 Neb. 301, 889 N.W.2d 73 (2016).

This section requires that a subrogation claim against a third-party tort-feasor for workers' compensation benefits paid to a claimant must be brought in the district court. In re Estate of Evertson, 295 Neb. 301, 889 N.W.2d 73 (2016).