What you need to know about the new workers’ compensation law changes in H.B 81

House Bill 81 goes into effect on September 15, 2020, and it includes major changes to Ohio’s workers’ compensation laws. Below are a few of the more significant changes employers need to know:

• The statute of limitations for filing an application for violation of specific safety requirement (VSSR) in injury claims is reduced from two years to one year, from the date of injury.

• “Voluntary abandonment,” a defense created by the courts for employers against the payment of temporary total disability compensation, has now been codified into statute. Further, House Bill 81 supersedes prior judicial decisions on this issue.

• The Industrial Commission’s right to exercise its continuing jurisdiction over a claim has been reduced from the last payment for treatment to the last date of medical services.

• State-funded employers may no longer object to the settlement of a claim where the claim is 1) out of the employer’s experience, and 2) no longer employed by the employer. 

Bricker collaborated with several Ohio business associations and Ohio’s legislature to enact these beneficial changes for Ohio employers. If you have any questions on how these changes affect your business, please contact Sue Roudebush in our Workers’ Compensation department at sroudebush@bricker.com or 614.227.7744.