2006 Minnesota Statutes

176.361 INTERVENTION.
    Subdivision 1. Right to intervene. A person who has an interest in any matter before the
Workers' Compensation Court of Appeals, or commissioner, or compensation judge such that the
person may either gain or lose by an order or decision may intervene in the proceeding by filing
an application or motion in writing stating the facts which show the interest. The commissioner is
considered to have an interest and shall be permitted to intervene at the appellate level when a
party relies in its claim or defense upon any statute or rule administered by the commissioner, or
upon any rule, order, requirement, or agreement issued or made under the statute or rule.
The commissioner may adopt rules, not inconsistent with this section to govern intervention.
The Workers' Compensation Court of Appeals shall adopt rules to govern the procedure for
intervention in matters before it.
If the Department of Human Services or the Department of Employment and Economic
Development seeks to intervene in any matter before the division, a compensation judge or the
Workers' Compensation Court of Appeals, a nonattorney employee of the department, acting
at the direction of the staff of the attorney general, may prepare, sign, serve and file motions
for intervention and related documents, appear at prehearing conferences, and participate in
matters before a compensation judge or the Workers' Compensation Court of Appeals. Any other
interested party may intervene using a nonattorney and may participate in any proceeding to
the same extent an attorney could. This activity shall not be considered to be the unauthorized
practice of law. An intervenor represented by a nonattorney shall be deemed to be represented by
an attorney for the purposes of the conclusive presumption of section 176.521, subdivision 2.
Subdivisions 3 to 6 do not apply to matters pending in the mediation or rehabilitation and
medical services sections.
    Subd. 2. Written application or motion. A person desiring to intervene in a workers'
compensation case as a party, including but not limited to a health care provider who has rendered
services to an employee or an insurer who has paid benefits under section 176.191, shall submit a
timely written application or motion to intervene to the commissioner, the office, or to the court
of appeals, whichever is applicable.
(a) The application or motion must be served on all parties either personally, by first class
mail, or registered mail, return receipt requested. An application or motion to intervene must be
served and filed within 60 days after a potential intervenor has been served with notice of a right
to intervene or within 30 days of notice of an administrative conference. Upon the filing of
a timely application or motion to intervene, the potential intervenor shall be granted intervenor
status without the need for an order. Objections to the intervention may be subsequently addressed
by a compensation judge. Where a motion to intervene is not timely filed under this section, the
potential intervenor interest shall be extinguished and the potential intervenor may not collect,
or attempt to collect, the extinguished interest from the employee, employer, insurer, or any
government program.
(b) The application or motion must show how the applicant's legal rights, duties, or
privileges may be determined or affected by the case; state the grounds and purposes for which
intervention is sought; and indicate the statutory right to intervene. The application or motion
must be accompanied by the following:
(1) an itemization of disability payments showing the period during which the payments
were or are being made; the weekly or monthly rate of the payments; and the amount of
reimbursement claimed;
(2) a summary of the medical or treatment payments, or rehabilitation services provided by
the Vocational Rehabilitation Unit, broken down by creditor, showing the total bill submitted, the
period of treatment or rehabilitation covered by that bill, the amount of payment on that bill, and
to whom the payment was made;
(3) copies of all medical or treatment bills on which some payment was made;
(4) copies of the work sheets or other information stating how the payments on medical
or treatment bills were calculated;
(5) a copy of the relevant policy or contract provisions upon which the claim for
reimbursement is based;
(6) the name and telephone number of the person representing the intervenor who has
authority to reach a settlement of the issues in dispute;
(7) proof of service or copy of the registered mail receipt;
(8) at the option of the intervenor, a proposed stipulation which states that all of the payments
for which reimbursement is claimed are related to the injury or condition in dispute in the case
and that, if the petitioner is successful in proving the compensability of the claim, it is agreed that
the sum be reimbursed to the intervenor; and
(9) if represented by an attorney, the name, address, telephone number, and Minnesota
Supreme Court license number of the attorney.
    Subd. 3. Stipulation. If the person submitting the application or motion for intervention has
included a proposed stipulation, all parties shall either execute and return the signed stipulation
to the intervenor who must file it with the division or judge or serve upon the intervenor and all
other parties and file with the division specific and detailed objections to any payments made
by the intervenor which are not conceded to be correct and related to the injury or condition
the petitioner has asserted is compensable. If a party has not returned the signed stipulation or
filed objections within 30 days of service of the application or motion, the intervenor's right to
reimbursement for the amount sought is deemed established provided that the petitioner's claim
is determined to be compensable.
    Subd. 4. Attendance by intervenor. Unless a stipulation has been signed and filed or the
intervenor's right to reimbursement has otherwise been established, the intervenor shall attend all
settlement or pretrial conferences, administrative conferences, and the hearing. Failure to appear
shall result in the denial of the claim for reimbursement.
    Subd. 5. Order. If an objection to intervention remains following settlement or pretrial
conferences, the issue shall be addressed at the hearing.
    Subd. 6. Presentation of evidence by intervenor. Unless a stipulation has been signed and
filed or the intervenor's right to reimbursement has otherwise been established, the intervenor
shall present evidence in support of the claim at the hearing unless otherwise ordered by the
compensation judge.
    Subd. 7. Effects of noncompliance. Except as provided in subdivisions 2 and 4, failure
to comply with this section shall not result in a denial of the claim for reimbursement unless
the compensation judge, or commissioner, determines that the noncompliance has materially
prejudiced the interests of the other parties.
History: 1953 c 755 s 53; 1969 c 276 s 2; 1973 c 388 s 106; 1975 c 271 s 6; 1975 c 359 s
23; 1976 c 134 s 78; 1983 c 290 s 148; 1984 c 432 art 2 s 45; 1984 c 654 art 5 s 58; 1Sp1985
c 14 art 9 s 75; 1986 c 461 s 30,31; 1987 c 332 s 87-89; 1992 c 464 art 1 s 5; 1994 c 483 s 1;
2002 c 262 s 21; 2004 c 206 s 52