Parties Can't Settle Claim for 'Partial' Payment of SIBs

A divided Texas Supreme Court on Friday threw out a worker's settlement of her comp claim because it provided supplemental income benefits when she had not established that she met the statutory criteria for eligibility. The court said settlement agreements must comply with “all appropriate provisions of law,” not just the statutory requirements relating specifically to settlements. Thus, if a settlement provides a worker with SIBs, the worker must meet the eligibility criteria for such benefits, and the amount of her SIBs must be calculated according to the "detailed an...