Jurisdiction

• Author: David L. Pollak/Roger A. Tolman, Jr./Monika R. Reyes
• Pages: 27-132

JURISDICTION

2-1

CHAPTER 2

JURISDICTION

I. APPEALS BOARD JURISDICTION

A. General Points

§2:01 Exclusivity

§2:02 WCAB Is a “Court”

§2:03 DWC-WCAB—The “Division” Compared to the “Board”

§2:04 Alternative Dispute Resolution

B. Exclusivity—No Civil Actions

§2:10 No Direct Actions

§2:11 The “Compensation Bargain”

§2:12 Def‌ining “Employer”

§2:13 No “Derivative” Actions

§2:14 Exclusivity—Aff‌irmative Defense

§2:15 Exception Under Vehicle Code

§2:16 Mechanics of Injury Do Not Control Jurisdiction

II. FEDERAL EXCLUSIONS AND PREEMPTIONS

A. Admiralty Act—Jones Act

§2:30 Constitutional “Maintenance and Cure” and Jones Act Negligence

§2:31 Requirements for Coverage

§2:32 Death Claims

§2:33 Exclusivity of Jones Act

§2:34 Liability Rules

§2:35 Relation-Back Doctrine

B. The Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA)

§2:40 Background—“Twilight Zone”

§2:41 Concurrent Jurisdiction

§2:42 Compare “Exclusive” Federal Jurisdiction

§2:43 Compare “Strictly Local” Concern

§2:44 Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA); Death on the High Seas Act (DOHSA)

C. Other Federal Exclusions & Preemptions

§2:50 Defense Base Act

§2:51 Federal Employers’ Liability Act—Railroad Employees

§2:52 FECA—Federal Employees

§2:53 ERISA

§2:54 Labor Relations Acts: LMRA, LRA, and RLA

§2:55 Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Workers’ Protection Act (AWPA)

§2:56 Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA)

§2:57 Safety Appliance Act and Federal Railroad Safety Act

§2:58 Exclusion for Federally Recognized Indian Tribe

§2:59 Exclusion for Service with National Guard

JURISDICTION

California Workers’ Compensation 2-2

III. EMPLOYMENTRELATED CIVIL SUITS: JOBSITE “THIRD PARTY SUITS”

§2:90 Injured Employee’s Right to Sue Third Party

§2:91 General and Subcontractors

§2:92 Liabilities of Property Owners and Hirers

§2:93 Product Liability

§2:94 Product Liability—“Market Share”

§2:95 Strict Product Liability

IV. CIVIL ACTIONS AGAINST EMPLOYERS

A. “Dual Capacity” Doctrine

§2:100 Background

§2:101 Legislative Restriction of Dual Capacity

§2:102 Exceptions to the Statutory Bar

§2:103 Fur ther Exception: “Dual Capacity” After the Injury

§2:104 Compare Interlocking Wholly Owned Corporate Employers

B. Willful Physical Assault

§2:110 Action Is Statutory

§2:111 Battery Not Required

§2:112 Deliberate Action Required

§2:113 Must Be Action by Employer

C. Intentional Inf‌liction of Emotional Distress

§2:120 Resulting in No Physical Disability

§2:121 Where Alleged Injury Results From Normal Part of Employment Relationship

§2:122 Conduct Outside the “Compensation Bargain”

§2:123 Emotional Distress Caused by Wrongful Discharge

§2:124 Negligent Inf‌liction of Emotional Distress

§2:125 Compare Emotional Distress From Employer Violation of Anti-Discrimination Laws

D. Wrongful Termination

§2:130 Limitations on the Right to Recover

§2:131 Forcing an Employee to Violate Public Policy

§2:132 After Acquired Evidence

§2:133 Employee Action Only

§2:134 Constructive Discharge

§2:135 Insurance Coverage

§2:136 Compare Civil Rights and Unlawful Discrimination Violations

E. Breach of Employment Contract

§2:150 Implied-in-Fact: No Discharge Without Good Cause

§2:151 Defenses: Statute of Frauds; Parol Evid. Rule; S.O.L.; Good Cause

§2:152 Wrongful Demotion

§2:153 Wage Claims

§2:154 Covenant Not to Compete

F. Defamation

§2:160 Slander as Not Involving Mental or Physical Injury

§2:161 Compare Privileged Communications

G. Invasion of Right of Privacy

§2:170 General Points

§2:171 Medical Information and Examination

§2:172 Drug Tests

§2:173 Monitoring Communications

§2:174 Political Activity

§2:175 Trespass

H. Statutory Discrimination Claims

1. Procedures

§2:180 Jurisdictional Defenses

§2:181 FEHC; EEOC—Exhaustion of Administrative Remedies

§2:182 Arbitration Alternative

§2:183 Burden of Proof; Discrimination

§2:184 Limits on FEHC Jurisdiction

JURISDICTION

2-3 Jurisdiction

§2:185 Nature of Civil Proceedings

§2:186 At torney Fees

§2:187 State/Federal Res Judicata Rules

§2:188 Statute of Limitations

§2:189 Punitive Damages

2. Claims

§2:200 Disabilit y Discrimination

§2:201 Age Discrimination

§2:202 Sexual or Gender Discrimination; Sexual Harassment

§2:203 Discrimination or Harassment: Race, Religious Creed, Color, National Origin, Ancestry,

Physical Disability, Mental Disability, Medical Condition, Marital Status, or Sex

§2:204 Genetic Discrimination

§2:205 Constitutional and Related Remedies

§2:206 Retaliator y Discrimination

I. Other Civil Actions Against Employers

§2:210 Fraudulent Concealment of Injury

§2:211 “Power Press” Exception

§2:212 Employer Failure to Insure

§2:213 Employer Fraud, Deceit and/or Misrepresentation

§2:214 False Imprisonment

§2:215 Spoliation of Evidence

§2:216 Whistle-Blower Actions

§2:217 Employee Polygraph Protection Act

§2:218 Wrongful Harboring of Dangerous Co-Employee

§2:219 Indemnif‌ication of Employment Expense

§2:220 Federal Labor Standards Act

V. ACTIONS AGAINST COEMPLOYEES

§2:230 Behavior Not Within Scope of Employment

§2:231 Intention and Intoxication

§2:232 Intent to Harm Required

§2:233 Actions Against Co-Employee Physicians

§2:234 Co-Employee Civil Recovery Does Not Preclude Compensation

VI. ACTIONS AGAINST INSURANCE CARRIERS

§2:240 Carriers Subject to Exclusivity Rule

§2:241 Reser ved

§2:242 Ordinary Sur veillance Protected—Teague

§2:243 Compare Hiding Coverage—Jablonski

§2:244 No Bad Faith Actions

§2:245 Compare Alleged RICO and Cartwright Act Violations

VII. ELECTION OF REMEDIES

§2:250 Election Necessar y

§2:251 Concurrent Remedies—Magliulo; Doney; Rudkin

§2:252 Cumulative Concurrent Remedies Available With Credit for One Against the Other

§2:253 Cases Suppor t Cumulative Concurrent Remedies

§2:254 Cumulative Versus Exclusive Remedies

VIII. OUTOFSTATE INJURIES: EXTRATERRITORIAL JURISDICTION

§2:260 California Provisions

§2:261 Contract of Hire

IX. OUTOFSTATE EMPLOYEES WORKING TEMPORARILY WITHIN STATE

§2:262 In-State Injur y

§2:263 Extraterritorial Ef fect of LC §3600.5(d)