Alabama Supreme Court Pandemic Emergency Response Orders Extended Through End of April 2021

28
Dec
2020

Alabama Supreme Court Pandemic Emergency Response Orders Extended Through End of April 2021

On December 21, 2020 the Alabama Supreme Court issued Administrative Order No. 9 which extended its previous orders concerning workers’ compensation and taking witness testimony remotely during the pandemic. This means that the following rules will be in effect through April 30, 2021:

Any workers’ compensation settlement hearing in any court may be conducted telephonically or by videoconferencing.
Any workers’ compensation settlement may be approved by an ombudsman of the Alabama Department of Labor (ADOL) or by a circuit judge. If a workers’ compensation case pending in a court is settled with written approval of an ombudsman from the ADOL, that settlement shall result in the dismissal of the workers’ compensation claim pending in court.

In addition to the above, the rules that provide for remotely swearing in and taking witness testimony are also extended.

About the Author

This blog submission was prepared by Mike Fish, an attorney with Fish Nelson & Holden, LLC, a law firm dedicated to representing self-insured employers, insurance carriers, and third party administrators in all matters related to workers’ compensation. Fish Nelson & Holden is a member of the National Workers’ Compensation Defense Network. If you have any questions about this submission or Alabama workers’ compensation in general, please contact Fish by e-mailing him at mfish@fishnelson.com or by calling him directly at 205-332-1448.

Alabama Workers' Comp Blawg