Appeal Can't Be Rejected as Untimely Without Evidence of When Decision Was Mailed

The Hawaii Supreme Court ruled that the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations cannot reject an appeal as untimely based on its “sent” date for a decision without direct evidence that the decision was sent on that date. Case: Dean v. State, No. SCWC-22-0000446, 06/10/2024, published. Facts and procedural history: Augustina Dean worked as an elementary school teacher. She filed a workers’ compensation claim, and the director of the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations denied it, finding that she had not suffered a work-related injury.  Dean appe...