High Court Says Collateral Estoppel Law Applies to Nonfinal Actions

New York's top court held that a 2022 law barring virtually all workers' compensation decisions from binding future litigation applies to all pending and nonfinal actions. The Justice for Injured Workers Act provides that no finding by the Workers' Compensation Board or a workers’ compensation law judge shall be given collateral estoppel effect in any other action or proceeding arising out of the same occurrence, other than a determination of the existence of an employer-employee relationship. The Appellate Division's 1st Department in January 2025 said the statute appl...