Sec. 31-289a. Civil action to recover civil penalties. Privileged assignment for trial. - Connecticut Statutes

      Sec. 31-289a. Civil action to recover civil penalties. Privileged assignment for trial. (a) If any civil penalty imposed pursuant to any provision of this chapter is not paid within ninety days of its imposition by a workers' compensation commissioner, or within ninety days of the final disposition of an appeal, as the case may be, the chairman of the Workers' Compensation Commission shall immediately notify the Attorney General of such failure to pay. Upon such notification, the Attorney General may bring a civil action in the name of the state of Connecticut in the superior court for the judicial district where the commissioner imposed the civil penalty, to recover double the amount of the civil penalty together with reasonable attorney's fees and costs as taxed by the court. Any recovery under this section shall be disbursed in the same manner as recoveries pursuant to section 31-355.

      (b) An affidavit sworn to or affirmed by the chairman of the Workers' Compensation Commission, or by the commissioner who imposed the civil penalty referred to in the affidavit, stating the name of the commissioner who imposed the civil penalty, the amount of the civil penalty, the name of the violator against whom the civil penalty was imposed, whether or not an appeal was taken, the disposition of the appeal and whether or not the penalty was paid, shall constitute prima facie proof of the facts contained in the affidavit. Copies of the records of the Workers' Compensation Commission, or of any commissioner, certified by said chairman or by the commissioner having custody of the records, containing the name of the commissioner who imposed a civil penalty, the amount of the civil penalty, the name of the violator against whom the civil penalty was imposed, whether or not an appeal was taken, the disposition of the appeal and whether or not the penalty was paid, shall constitute prima facie proof of the facts contained in the records.

      (c) Civil actions pursuant to this section shall be privileged in their assignment for trial.

      (P.A. 86-174, S. 2; P.A. 91-339, S. 14, 55.)

      History: P.A. 91-339 changed "board of compensation commissioners" to "workers' compensation commission" and changed "workers' compensation commissioner" to "commissioner".