4123-3-18. Appellate procedure

(A) Administrative appeals.

(1) The right of an administrative appeal is limited to the claimant, the dependents of a deceased worker, the employer, and the administrator, where the administrator or the administrator's representative appeals on behalf of the state insurance fund and/or the surplus fund.

(2) The named eligible appellants may appeal decisions of the district hearing officers, or staff hearing officers.

(3) Decisions of district hearing officers are appealable to the staff hearing officers. Decisions of the staff hearing officers are appealable to the industrial commission.

(4) Appeals shall be filed in accordance with rule 4121-3-18 of the Administrative Code.

(5) Appeal applications shall be signed by the party appealing or by authorized representative on behalf of such party. The same applies to the administrator when filing an appeal.

(6) Such applications may be filed with any office of the bureau or of the industrial commission.

(7) The same time limits apply to appeals filed from the decision of the staff hearing officers to the industrial commission.

(8) Appellate review and determination of claims being within the exclusive jurisdiction of the industrial commission, the conduct of hearings and other incidental matters are governed by the rules of the industrial commission.

(9) The bureau's legal division shall act as attorney in appeals filed by the bureau on behalf of the state insurance fund; it may also act as a representative of the administrator in appeals filed by the bureau on behalf of the surplus fund. As a party to the proceedings, the bureau's legal division shall be entitled to proper notice of any action taken by the appellate body on appeals filed by the bureau.

(10) The bureau shall make payment of an award of compensation in a claim at the earliest time provided in division (H) of section 4123.511 of the Revised Code, except that, in all cases of a determination made under division (A) of section 4123.57 of the Revised Code for percentage permanent partial disability compensation, no payment shall be made to the claimant until a final decision on reconsideration allows such compensation.

(11) In all other cases, if the decision of the district hearing officer is appealed by the employer or the administrator, the bureau shall withhold medical benefits during the course of appeal to the staff hearing officer, but where the staff hearing officer rules in favor of the claimant, medical benefits shall be paid by the bureau immediately upon the receipt of the order, regardless of whether or not further appeal is taken. In self-insuring employers' claims, payment shall be made in accordance with applicable laws and rules.

(12) Payments of an award of compensation and/or benefits made by the bureau pursuant to a decision of a staff hearing officer shall commence immediately upon the bureau's receipt of the order.

(B) Appeals to court.

(1) The claimant or the employer may appeal an order of the industrial commission made under division (E) of section 4123.511 of the Revised Code in any injury or occupational disease case, other than a decision as to the extent of disability to the court of common pleas of the county in which the injury was inflicted or in which the contract of employment was made if the injury occurred outside the state, or in which the contract of employment was made if the exposure occurred outside the state. If no common pleas court has jurisdiction for the purposes of an appeal by the use of the jurisdictional requirements described in this division, the appellant may use the venue provisions in the Rules of Civil Procedure to vest jurisdiction in a court. If the claim is for an occupational disease, the appeal shall be to the court of common pleas of the county in which the exposure which caused the disease occurred. Like appeal may be taken from an order of a staff hearing officer made under division (D) of section 4123.511 of the Revised Code from which the commission has refused to hear an appeal. Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (B)(2) of this rule, the appellant shall file the notice of appeal with a court of common pleas within sixty days after the date of the receipt of the order appealed from or the date of receipt of the order of the commission refusing to hear an appeal of a staff hearing officer's decision under division (D) of section 4123.511 of the Revised Code. The filing of the notice of the appeal with the court is the only act required to perfect the appeal.

(2) For a claim arising on or after September 29, 2017, either the claimant or the employer may file a notice of intent to settle the claim within thirty days after the date of the receipt of the order appealed from or of the order of the commission refusing to hear an appeal of a staff hearing officer's decision. The claimant or employer shall file notice of intent to settle on the appropriate form with the administrator of workers' compensation, and the notice shall be served on the opposing party and the party's representative. The filing of the notice of intent to settle extends the time to file an appeal to one hundred fifty days, unless the opposing party files an objection on the appropriate form within fourteen days after the date of the receipt of the notice of intent to settle. The party shall file the objection with the administrator, and the objection shall be served on the party that filed the notice of intent to settle and the party's representative.

(3) "Notice of Appeal" stating the names of the claimant and the employer, the number of the claim, the date of the decision appealed from and the fact that the appellant appeals from such order must be filed with the industrial commission and with the court of common pleas within the timeframes provided in paragraphs (B)(1) and (B)(2) of this rule.

(4) Such appeal or any other action filed from a decision of the industrial commission in a claim in which an award of compensation has been made shall not stay the payment of compensation under such award or payment of compensation for subsequent periods of total disability during the pendency of the appeal.

Effective: 7/1/2019
Five Year Review (FYR) Dates: 4/8/2019 and 07/01/2024
Promulgated Under: 119.03
Statutory Authority: 4121.12, 4121.121
Rule Amplifies: 4121.12, 4121.121 , 4121.13, 4121.30, 4121.31, 4123.05, 4123.512
Prior Effective Dates: 10/17/1968, 01/16/1978, 08/22/1986 (Emer.), 11/08/1986, 02/10/2009, 04/01/2014