Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

Employment – workers’ compensation

By: WISCONSIN LAW JOURNAL STAFF//August 6, 2013//

Employment – workers’ compensation

By: WISCONSIN LAW JOURNAL STAFF//August 6, 2013//

Listen to this article

Wisconsin Court of Appeals

Civil

Employment – workers’ compensation

Workers’ compensation is the exclusive remedy available to a police officer injured because of another officer’s negligence.

“The statute had an effective date of January 1, 1978. However, the statute was quickly amended to delete the indemnification of WIS. STAT. § 895.46 from the coemployee exception. See 1977 Wis. Laws, ch. 418, § 583w. The effective date of the amendment was May 18, 1978. Therefore, the coemployee exception of § 102.03(2) specifically eliminated a local government unit’s obligation to pay judgments under § 895.46. To conclude otherwise now would contradict the legislature’s specific intent in amending § 102.03(2) in 1978. Such an interpretation would undermine the fundamental premise of the legislature: worker’s compensation for injuries without regard to fault in exchange for avoiding fault-based coemployee litigation and unpredictable damages. Such an interpretation, as the Floreses seek, would also require us to ignore § 102.03(2), which we cannot do. See Liberty Grove Town Bd. v. Door Cnty. Bd. of Supervisors, 2005 WI App 166, ¶14, 284 Wis. 2d 814, 702 N.W.2d 33 (‘Statutes should be interpreted so that no provision is rendered meaningless.’).”

Affirmed.

Recommended for publication in the official reports.

2012AP2272 Flores v. Goeman

Dist. I, Milwaukee County, Witkowiak, J., Kessler, J.

Attorneys: For Appellant: Guerin, D. Michael, Milwaukee; Keppel, Kathryn A., Milwaukee; Strohbehn, Christopher L., Milwaukee; For Respondent: Houren, Maurita F., Milwaukee; O’Lochlayne, D. S., Waukesha; Ratzel, James C., Brookfield

Polls

Should Steven Avery be granted a new evidentiary hearing?

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...

Legal News

See All Legal News

WLJ People

Sea all WLJ People

Opinion Digests