The Responsibility of Employer for the Health Damage of Employee
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Abstract
The article investigates such questions, as liability of the employer in cases of damage of health of the employees, accidents at work and occupational diseases, in the context of social insurance. It analyses the provisions of the new Code of Civil Law of the Republic of Lithuania and the Labour Code, concerning the cases in question.
In Lithuania, the Law on Social Insurance of Occupational Accidents and Occupational Diseases came into force on 1 January 2000. According to the law, the employee who experiences an occupational accident or occupational disease has the right to receive a social insurance payment. The reimbursement of damages done to the health of the employee is also regulated by the new Code of Civil Law of the Republic of Lithuania and by the Labour Code. According to the Labour Code, in cases of occupational accidents, the employer is responsible for the damage, which is not fully covered by the social insurance system, or when the damage is not compensated by the social security system in accordance with the provisions laid down in the Code of Civil Law. Thus, the damage done to the health of the employee may be reimbursed in two ways. The Law on Social Insurance of Occupational Accidents and Occupational Diseases ensures only partial compensation of damage. The social insurance system does not compensate to the victim the received immaterial damage and the expenses caused by the occupational accident or the occupational disease. The employer reimburses these expenses and immaterial damage.
Therefore, it is considered that the liability of the employer should provide for the full and complete compensation of such damage done to health. For this reason, the material liability should also be held as one of the disciplinary measures for ensuring that the employer will carry out the requirements of occupational safety.
The article also looks into the jurisprudence of the Supreme Administrative Court of Lithuania in cases concerning the investigation of occupational diseases. According to such case law, if an occupational disease is diagnosed when the person has already terminated work relations, he is not entitled to receive a social insurance payment because he is no longer considered to be insured by the social insurance against accidents at work and occupational diseases. In such cases the damage done to health may be reimbursed following the order established by the provisions of the Civil Code, according to which the liability of restitution falls on the employer. The author of this article believes that the right to receive a social insurance payment under the Law on Social Insurance of Occupational Accidents and Occupational Diseases should not at all times be bound to the fact that a person has to be insured on the moment when such a disease is diagnosed.
In Lithuania, the Law on Social Insurance of Occupational Accidents and Occupational Diseases came into force on 1 January 2000. According to the law, the employee who experiences an occupational accident or occupational disease has the right to receive a social insurance payment. The reimbursement of damages done to the health of the employee is also regulated by the new Code of Civil Law of the Republic of Lithuania and by the Labour Code. According to the Labour Code, in cases of occupational accidents, the employer is responsible for the damage, which is not fully covered by the social insurance system, or when the damage is not compensated by the social security system in accordance with the provisions laid down in the Code of Civil Law. Thus, the damage done to the health of the employee may be reimbursed in two ways. The Law on Social Insurance of Occupational Accidents and Occupational Diseases ensures only partial compensation of damage. The social insurance system does not compensate to the victim the received immaterial damage and the expenses caused by the occupational accident or the occupational disease. The employer reimburses these expenses and immaterial damage.
Therefore, it is considered that the liability of the employer should provide for the full and complete compensation of such damage done to health. For this reason, the material liability should also be held as one of the disciplinary measures for ensuring that the employer will carry out the requirements of occupational safety.
The article also looks into the jurisprudence of the Supreme Administrative Court of Lithuania in cases concerning the investigation of occupational diseases. According to such case law, if an occupational disease is diagnosed when the person has already terminated work relations, he is not entitled to receive a social insurance payment because he is no longer considered to be insured by the social insurance against accidents at work and occupational diseases. In such cases the damage done to health may be reimbursed following the order established by the provisions of the Civil Code, according to which the liability of restitution falls on the employer. The author of this article believes that the right to receive a social insurance payment under the Law on Social Insurance of Occupational Accidents and Occupational Diseases should not at all times be bound to the fact that a person has to be insured on the moment when such a disease is diagnosed.
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Authors retain copyright of their work, with first publication rights granted to the Association for Learning Technology.
Please see Copyright and Licence Agreement for further details.
