Kansas Statutes
Article 5 - Workers Compensation
44-501b Legislative intent; employer obligation, burden of proof; liability.

44-501b. Legislative intent; employer obligation, burden of proof; liability. (a) It is the intent of the legislature that the workers compensation act shall be liberally construed only for the purpose of bringing employers and employees within the provisions of the act. The provisions of the workers compensation act shall be applied impartially to both employers and employees in cases arising thereunder.
(b) If in any employment to which the workers compensation act applies, an employee suffers personal injury by accident, repetitive trauma or occupational disease arising out of and in the course of employment, the employer shall be liable to pay compensation to the employee in accordance with and subject to the provisions of the workers compensation act.
(c) The burden of proof shall be on the claimant to establish the claimant's right to an award of compensation and to prove the various conditions on which the claimant's right depends. In determining whether the claimant has satisfied this burden of proof, the trier of fact shall consider the whole record.
(d) Except as provided in the workers compensation act, no employer, or other employee of such employer, shall be liable for any injury, whether by accident, repetitive trauma, or occupational disease, for which compensation is recoverable under the workers compensation act nor shall an employer be liable to any third party for any injury or death of an employee which was caused under circumstances creating a legal liability against a third party and for which workers compensation is payable by such employer.
History: L. 2011, ch. 55, ยง 1; May 15.

Structure Kansas Statutes

Kansas Statutes

Chapter 44 - Labor And Industries

Article 5 - Workers Compensation

44-501 Compensation; disallowances; substance abuse testing; exceptions, pre-existing conditions; public service benefits protection act, coronary disease or cerebrovascular injury benefits for firefighters and law enforcement officers; liability lim...

44-501b Legislative intent; employer obligation, burden of proof; liability.

44-501c Public service benefits protection act.

44-502 Reservation of penalties.

44-503 Subcontracting.

44-503a Multiple employment; apportionment of liability.

44-503c Employment status of an owner-operator of a motor vehicle; definitions.

44-504 Remedy against negligent third party; employer and workers compensation fund subrogated, exclusion; credits against future payments; limitation of actions; attorney fees.

44-505 Application of act.

44-505b County as self-insurer; establishment of reserve fund; retransfers.

44-505c Local political and taxing subdivision; payment of workmen's compensation coverage.

44-505d Firemen's relief association members; procedure for exemption and for coverage under act after exemption therefrom.

44-505e Schools, area vocational-technical schools and community colleges as self-insurer; establishment of reserve fund; retransfers.

44-505f City as self-insurer; establishment of reserve fund; retransfers.

44-506 Application of act to certain businesses or employments, lands and premises.

44-508 Definitions.

44-509 Incapacitated workman or dependent; exercise of rights; limitation of actions.

44-510b Compensation where death results from injury; compensation upon remarriage; apportionment; burial expenses; limitations on compensation; annual statement by surviving spouse.

44-510c Compensation for permanent total and temporary total disabilities.

44-510d Compensation for certain permanent partial disabilities; computation thereof; schedule.

44-510e Compensation for temporary or permanent partial general disabilities; whole body injury; extent of disability; computation thereof; functional impairment defined; termination upon death from other causes; limitations; other remedies excluded.

44-510f Employer's maximum liability for disability compensation; credit for unearned wages.

44-510g Vocational rehabilitation, agreement of employer or insurance carrier; vocational rehabilitation administrator and assistants; qualified service providers, referrals.

44-510h Medical compensation; change of health care provider; examination by alternate health care provider; faith healing; preventative hepatitis treatment; presumption of employer's obligations; termination of.

44-510i Medical benefits; contract with or appointment of medical administrator; maximum medical fee schedule; advisory panel.

44-510j Medical benefits; fee disputes; utilization and peer review.

44-510k Post-award medical benefits; application; notice; attorney fees; termination or modification of benefits.

44-510l Warning notice to injured employee.

44-511 Definitions; average weekly wage; volunteers; state's average weekly wage.

44-512 Time and manner of compensation payments.

44-512a Failure to pay compensation when due; civil penalty; imposition and collection; attorney fees; other remedies.

44-512b Failure to pay compensation prior to award without just cause; interest, penalty.

44-513a Minors entitled to compensation; payment.

44-513b Same; act supplemental.

44-514 Payments not assignable; exception, orders for support.

44-515 Medical examinations; suspension of benefits; travel and living expenses; availability of reports; disqualification of certain medical evidence; consideration of health care providers' opinions.

44-516 Medical examination by neutral health care provider.

44-518 Refusal of medical examination; effect.

44-519 Certificate of health care provider as evidence.

44-520 Notice of injury.

44-521 Agreements; approval.

44-523 Hearing procedure; time limitations on evidence and entry of award; prehearing settlement conference; recusal of administrative law judge; closure of claims; lack of prosecution.

44-525 Form of findings and awards; effective date.

44-526 Filing agreements, awards, etc.

44-527 Final receipts.

44-528 Review and modification of awards; reinstatement; cancellation; effective date.

44-529 Judgment on agreement or awards.

44-530 Staying proceedings upon an award.

44-531 Redemption of liability; lump-sum payment of award; exception.

44-532 Subrogation of insurer or group-funded pool to rights and duties of employer; methods of securing payment of compensation; failure to secure; penalties; notice to director by insurers; change of status notice by self-insurers and group-funded...

44-532a Liability of workers compensation fund for uninsured or insufficiently self-insured insolvent employers; cause of action against such employers.

44-534 Proceedings; time limitations; electronic filing system authorized.

44-534a Preliminary hearings; orders for medical treatment and temporary total disability benefits; review of preliminary findings and orders; reimbursement from workers compensation fund.

44-535 When the right to compensation accrues.

44-536 Attorney fees; limitations; lien; review of contracts and fees claimed; matters to consider upon review; powers and duties of director and administrative law judge.

44-536a Signing of pleadings, motions and other documents; liability for frivolous filings.

44-542a Election by individual employer, partner or self-employed person.

44-543 Election by certain employees.

44-545 Defenses available in certain cases.

44-549 Hearings, venue; final award of administrative law judge; hearing powers of director and board.

44-550 Records of proceedings, documents; custody and preservation.

44-550b Records open to public inspection, exceptions.

44-551 Assistant directors, administrative law judges and special local administrative law judges; application, qualifications, appointment, reappointment, term; workers compensation and employment security boards nominating committee; judges' powers...

44-552 Record of hearing; certified shorthand reporter; transcript; costs.

44-553 Witness fees.

44-554 Depositions.

44-555 Reporter's fees, assessment.

44-555c Workers compensation appeals board; jurisdiction; composition and appointment; reappointment; term of office; qualifications, salary and expenses; panels; final orders, content and issuance.

44-556 Judicial review of actions of the board; procedure; payment of compensation pending administrative and judicial review; application of 1993 amendments; reimbursement or credit for amounts paid under certain circumstances.

44-556a Transfer of appeals due to constitutional defect.

44-557 Employer's duty to report accidents; civil penalty for failure to report; recovery of penalties.

44-557a Compilation and publication of statistics; database of information; submission of data; contracts for actuarial or statistical services.

44-559 Insurance against liability; form and contents of policy.

44-559a Workers compensation insurance; deductibles option; occurrence deductible defined; payment of deductible amount by insurer, reimbursement; premium credits; Kansas workers compensation insurance plan not to require deductibles option; group-fu...

44-561 Reserves.

44-562 Reports to insurance commissioner; inspection.

44-563 Violation of act.

44-565 Invalidity of part.

44-566 Workers compensation fund to facilitate employment of handicapped workers; definitions.

44-566a Workers compensation fund; annual assessment; administration; actions against fund, parties, settlement; liabilities of fund; annual report; actuarial review.

44-567 Same; employment or retention of handicapped workers; relief from or apportionment of liability for subsequent injuries; knowledge of impairment; presumptions; commissioner of insurance to be impleaded.

44-569 Same; awards for subsequent injuries to handicapped workers; apportionment of amounts due; duties of commissioner of insurance; employer's liability when fund insufficient, reimbursement.

44-569a Same; employer or insurance carrier reimbursed from fund, when.

44-570 Same; employer's liability for no-dependent deaths; awards to fund; duties of commissioner of insurance; refund.

44-572 Same; review; modification or cancellation of awards.

44-573 Rules and regulations; filing.

44-574 Construing and citing workers compensation laws; severability.

44-575 State workers compensation self-insurance fund; state agencies self-insured as single employer; administration; state workplace health and safety program.

44-576 State workers compensation self-insurance fund; self-insurance assessment against state agencies; rate.

44-577 Same; claims for compensation by state employees; service of claims; defense of fund; regional emergency medical response team.

44-578 Same; administrative rules and regulations.

44-579 Same; copies of accident reports to secretary of administration.

44-580 Same; construction of 44-575 to 44-580.

44-581 Group-funded workers compensation pools; requirements.

44-582 Same; certificate of authority; application; commissioner's review of surplus funds.

44-583 Same; irrevocable consent; service of process on commissioner of insurance.

44-584 Same; certificate of authority, renewal, suspension, revocation; examinations.

44-585 Same; premiums; contributions; deposit of premiums; refunds.

44-586 Same; premiums; use; investments.

44-587 Same; group-funded workers' compensation pools fee fund; expense of administration; assessments.

44-588 Same; premium tax; payment.

44-589 Same; assessments; subject to article 24 of chapter 40 of Kansas Statutes Annotated.

44-590 Same; new members; application; termination.

44-591 Same; board of trustees; duties.

44-592 Same; licensing of persons soliciting workers compensation insurance.

44-593 Reorganization of pool agreement under 12-2216 et seq.

44-594 Same; confidentiality of certain financial information.

44-5,101 Informational and educational materials; contents; language; distribution to insured and self-insured.

44-5,102 Same; distribution upon notice of injury; preparation and dissemination.

44-5,103 Same; cooperation by and duties of self-insurers and insurance companies and other benefit delivery entities; continuing education activities.

44-5,104 Accident prevention programs; requirements and reports; inspections; duties of secretary of labor; failure to maintain, penalties.

44-5,110 Ombudsman program; qualifications and appointment of ombudsmen; special ombudsmen, contracts; dissemination of program information.

44-5,117 Mediation conferences.

44-5,120 Fraudulent or abusive acts or practices; defined; powers, duties and functions of director of workers compensation and commissioner of insurance; application of section; administrative investigation and enforcement; hearings; costs; cease an...

44-5,121 Same; cause of action to recover economic losses.

44-5,122 Same; acts or practices constituting crimes, procedure; reporting alleged violations; review and investigation.

44-5,123 Same; immunity from civil liability for reporting information in good faith.

44-5,124 Assistant attorney general; appointment within division of workers compensation; duties.

44-5,125 Workers compensation fraud and other acts or practices constituting crimes; penalties; repayment of certain amounts, interest; cause of action, certain monetary damages.

44-5,126 Severability.

44-5,127 Affidavit of exempt status; fraud; penalties.