Opinion ID: 880730
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Waiver of Benefits by Widow

Text: Travelers contends that the Workers' Compensation Court erred in its determination that the widow cannot waive death benefits. The Court stated: Petitioner [Travelers] submits that public policy requires that compensability be acknowledged. We concur. To allow the widow to waive benefits is a commendable purpose for the children. Yet the employer is thereby precluded from any benefit of a subrogation entitlement by its insurer. The public policy of workers' compensation is to mandate coverage for both the employer and employee. As such, injury caused by a third-party tortious wrongdoer is the subject of a subrogation right by the work comp insurer, which thereby reduced the tortious wrongdoer is the subject of a subrogation right by the work comp insurer, which thereby reduced the employer's obligation for premium reflecting the loss. The argument presented by the widow and the children would preclude participation in the third-party settlement by the employer, since they did not participate in that action. The children contend that the Workers' Compensation Court has confused the public policy of mandatory coverage with a supposed public policy mandatory receipt of benefits. Section 39-71-409, MCA, states: Waivers by employee invalid. No agreement by an employee to waive any rights under this chapter for any injury to be received shall be valid. It is obvious that the foregoing statute is not applicable to the facts here. The waiver is not from an employee but from a beneficiary, and the statute contemplates a waiver before the injury is received. Travelers, however, maintains that the widow in this case may not waive her right to benefits under the Workers' Compensation law. Travelers argues that there is a public policy declaration in § 39-71-105, MCA, which makes it an objective of the Montana Workers' Compensation system to provide, without regard to fault, wage supplement and medical benefits to a worker suffering from a work-related injury or disease. Travelers maintains that such public policy brings this case within the exception provided in § 1-3-204, MCA, which states: Waiver of benefit of a law. Anyone may waive the advantage of a law intended solely for his benefit. But a law established for a public reason cannot be contravened by a private agreement. It must be recognized that there is a broad public policy that a workers' compensation system be provided, that workers should be protected under such a system, and that the beneficiaries also be protected in their rights. In upholding the constitutionality of the original Workers' Compensation Act, this Court held that an employee may waive the advantage of any provision of law that was intended solely for his benefit as long as the waiver does not violate public policy. Shea v. North-Butte Mining Company (1919), 55 Mont. 522, 179 P. 499. In this case, once the death of Richard occurred, and with the filing of the claim for benefits, there vested in Laurie, as the surviving widow, a right to benefits under the workers' compensation laws of this state. The right to receive those benefits was personal to Laurie, and undoubtedly she had the right to waive or abandon the same. Section 1-3-204, MCA; H. Earl Clack Company v. Staunton (1937), 105 Mont. 375, 72 P.2d 1022; Anaconda Copper Mining Company v. Ravalli County (1919), 56 Mont. 530, 186 P. 332; Bush v. Baker (1913), 46 Mont. 535, 129 P. 550.