Mississippi Workers Compensation Accidents and Injuries – What Do The Words “Regularly Employed” Mean In Regards to Determining If An Employer Should Have Workers’ Compensation Insurance?

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Mississippi Workers Compensation Accidents and Injuries – What Do The Words “Regularly Employed” Mean In Regards to Determining If An Employer Should Have Workers’ Compensation Insurance?

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Mississippi Workers Compensation Accidents and Injuries – What Do The Words “Regularly Employed” Mean In Regards to Determining If An Employer Should Have Workers’ Compensation Insurance?

by Jay Foster, Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Attorney

The term “regularly employed” in regards to determing whether a Mississippi Employer should have Workers’ Compensation insurance has been the subject of a recent debate at the Mississippi Court of Appeals. In this case, the employerargued that it did not “regularly employ” at least 5 people at the time of the accident argued so it should not be required to purchase Workers’ Compensation Insurance. The employer further pointed out that the Mississippi Legislature has not defined the term “regularly.”

As explained by Section 71-3-5 of the Mississippi Code, an employer must purchase Workers’ Compensation Insurance if it meets the following criteria:

Every person, firm and private corporation, including any public service corporation but excluding, however, all nonprofit, charitable, fraternal, cultural, or religious corporations or associations, that have in service five (5) or more workmen or operatives regularly in the same business or in or about the same
establishment under any contract of hire, express or implied.

Id.

While the Mississippi Legislature has not defined the term “regularly,” our Courts have previously defined it. Specifically, in Jackson v. Fly, 215 Miss. 303, 307-08, 63 So. 2d 536, 537 (1952), the Mississippi Supreme Court quoted favorably both “58 Am. Jur., Workmen’s Compensation, [s]ection 87, p. 640″ and “Larson’s Workmen’s Compensation Law, volume 1, [s]ection 52.20, page 769.” The supreme court further quoted from Fowler v. Baalmann, Inc., 234 S.W.2d 11, 14 (Mo. 1950), which stated:

The word “regularly” is not synonymous with constantly or continuously. The work may be intermittent and yet regular. Men may be regularly but not continuously employed . . . . The word “regular” is used as an antonym of the word “casual” and, when an employee is regular or “regularly” employed, he is not casual.

Id. at at 308, 63 So. 2d at 537.

The Court of Appeals found that the employees had worked in the owner’s wife’s logging business, and there was substantial evidence that they had worked with both of them for several weeks before the accident.

R&K Timber argues that in making a determination of whether it was a covered
employer, the proper standard of proof should have been clear and convincing evidence.
R&K Timber suggests that this higher standard is required by section 71-3-83 of the Workers’
Compensation Act, which provides for the possible imposition of criminal penalties for the
failure to secure payment of compensation. Miss. Code Ann. § 71-3-83 (Rev. 2000). The
argument of R&K Timber is at best syllogistically flawed and at worst disingenuous. The
standard of proof in this case is by a preponderance of the evidence. “To establish entitlement
to benefits under workers’ compensation, the claimant bears the burden of proving by a
preponderance of the evidence each element of the claim of disability.” Bryan Foods, Inc.
v. White, 913 So. 2d 1003, 1008 (¶18) (Miss. Ct. App. 2005) (citing Hedge v. Leggett & Platt,
Inc., 641 So. 2d 9, 13 (Miss. 1994)). “An appellate court must defer to an administrative
agency’s findings of fact if there is even a quantum of credible evidence which supports the
agency’s decision.” Bryan Foods, 913 So. 2d at 1007 (¶16) ( citing Hale v. Ruleville Health
Care Ctr., 687 So. 2d 1221, 1224 (Miss. 1997)). The appropriate standard of proof was
applied and met. R&K Timber cannot dodge its responsibility. There is no merit to this
assignment of error.

If you have questions about this or any other Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Accident, please call or email Jay Foster.

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