Nebraska Workers Compensation Court

Title: Nebraska Workers Compensation Court Category: Nebraska Clicks: 0 Listing added: Apr 29, 2009

The Nebraska Workers' Compensation Act was first passed in 1913 and from then until 1917 the Act was administered by the several state district courts. In 1917, the Legislature created the Compensation Division in the Department of Labor and the commissioner of labor was designated compensation commissioner. The 1935 Legislature established the Workers' Compensation Court and transferred Compensation Division functions to the court. The authority and responsibilities of the court are found in Chapter 48, Article 1, of the Revised Statutes of Nebraska. By 1988, the workers' compensation bench had grown to seven judges who hear disputed cases throughout the state.

Mission

The mission of the Nebraska Workers' Compensation Court is to administer and enforce all provisions of the Nebraska Workers' Compensation Act, except those provisions that are committed to the courts of appellate jurisdiction or as otherwise provided by law.

Organization

The Nebraska Workers' Compensation Court is composed of seven judges who are initially appointed by the governor and who then remain on the bench for successive six-year terms upon approval of the electorate. Every two years one of the judges is elected as presiding judge by the judges of the court, subject to approval of the Supreme Court. Four judges are officed in the State Capitol in Lincoln and three judges are officed in the Hall of Justice in Omaha. A judge will travel to any county in the state where an accident occurred to hear a disputed case. A case is first heard by a single judge and, if appealed, the case is then heard by a review panel of three judges of the court. The review is based on the record created at the original hearing, and no new evidence may be introduced. The next level of appeal is to the Nebraska Court of Appeals and ultimately a case may go to the Nebraska Supreme Court.
For administrative purposes, the judges and staff of the court are organized into two operating divisions and seven operating sections. The adjudication division, under the direction of the presiding judge, includes the judges and the Office of the Clerk of the Court. The administration division, under the direction of the court administrator, includes the remaining six sections as identified below. The presiding judge is charged with overall responsibility for the functioning of the court, and the court administrator serves as the chief administrative officer for the court.

Address:	State Capitol Building, 13th Floor, 1445 \'K\' Street, Lincoln, NE 68508
Phone:	800-599-5155
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