Basic Philosophy of the U.S. Workers' Compensation Legislation: Significance and Scope of the Exclusive Remedy Principle

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K13530
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 05040:Social law-related
• Research Institution: Osaka University
• Principal Investigator: Jigami Ryosuke 大阪大学, 大学院高等司法研究科, 准教授 (80762038)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 労災補償 / 労災保険 / アメリカ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Workers' compensation laws in the states in the U.S. adopt a system of exclusive remedy, which exempts the employer from tort-based claims for damages from the employee when the employer is liable to pay workers' compensation. (1) The exclusive remedy is a mechanism to “protect” the employer who is liable for no-fault liability, and (2) the existence of this exclusive remedy system has led to the opposite phenomenon from the ordinary application of labor laws, such as the employer actively seeking workers' compensation coverage to prevent liability for large damages based on tort actions and the worker, on the contrary, denying that he is an employee. In addition, as a contemporary issue, it was found that (iii) new issues for exclusive remedies include dealing with occupational diseases and coordinating with employment discrimination laws.

Free Research Field

労働法・社会保障法

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は、従前から歴史的・理論的検討が行われてきた排他的救済制度について、法改正や判例法理の蓄積を踏まえ、制度創設後の展開と新たな課題について、現地実務家への聞き取り調査も踏まえ提示した点で新規性を有するとともに、複雑化し整序が必要な、わが国の労災保険法制と労働者の使用者に対する民事損害賠償との関係性について、一定の示唆を与えるものである。