Amends the workers' compensation reimbursement provisions related to the liability of third person for damages.

Plain-English Summary

This bill makes changes to Rhode Island's workers' compensation rules about what happens when an injured worker's accident was caused by someone other than their employer — known as a "third party." For example, if a worker is hurt on the job because of a defective product or a car accident caused by another driver, they may be able to sue that outside party in addition to receiving workers' compensation benefits from their employer.

Currently, when a worker receives workers' compensation benefits and also recovers money from a lawsuit against a third party, the employer or their insurance company has the right to be paid back (reimbursed) from that settlement. This bill amends the specific rules governing how that reimbursement process works — potentially changing things like how much the employer or insurer can recover, when they can recover it, or how the costs of the lawsuit are factored in.

This bill primarily affects injured workers, their employers, and workers' compensation insurance companies. Workers who have been hurt on the job due to someone else's fault, and who pursue legal action against that outside party, could see changes in how much of their settlement they get to keep versus how much goes back to the insurance carrier. Employers and insurers would also be affected by any adjustments to their reimbursement rights.

Because the full text of the bill has not been provided here, the precise changes cannot be fully detailed. The bill has been introduced in the Rhode Island Senate and referred to the Senate Labor and Gaming Committee for further review.