Opinion ID: 2544358
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: The district court erred when it dismissed the Fund's petition for intervention.

Text: ¶ 20 Intervention in an action is controlled by 12 O.S.1991, § 2024. Intervention is mandatory where a statute confers an unconditional right to intervene or where the intervenor claims an interest relating to the property or transaction which is the subject of the action and the disposition of the action may impair or impede his ability to protect that interest. Tulsa Rock Co. v. Williams, 1982 OK 10, ¶ 5, 640 P.2d 530, 532. ¶ 21 This Court has recognized the right of an employer or insurance carrier, having paid workers' compensation benefits, to intervene in an action against a third-party tortfeasor. Landrum v. National Union Insurance Co., 1996 OK 18, at ¶ 12, 912 P.2d at 328, (National Union had the right to intervene in Mrs. Landrum's suit because doing so protected National Union's right to its share of any recovery realized by Mrs. Landrum from the defendants.) [14] ¶ 22 Because the § 44(a) right of the Fund for reimbursement extends to the proceeds of the malpractice action against Nicholas' attorney for failure to timely file the third-party tort action, the district court erred when it dismissed the Fund's petition for intervention.