Sole remedy / exclusive remedy doctrine
The principle that workers' compensation benefits are generally the covered employee's exclusive remedy against an insured employer for a work-related injury, subject to statutory exceptions.
Exclusive remedy is the tradeoff at the center of workers' compensation: covered workers receive statutory benefits without proving ordinary negligence, while the employer generally receives protection from civil tort suits for the same compensable injury.
New York's Workers' Compensation Board glossary defines exclusiveness of remedy as the system's status as the employee's sole recourse against an insured or lawfully self-insured employer for covered work injuries or occupational disease. Exceptions and third-party claims are state-specific.
Where this definition comes from
Glossary entries are anchored to a state agency, statute, board, commission, or recognized workers' compensation authority rather than a generalized summary.
More terms
- Additional insured
- Agricultural/farm labor exclusion
- Assigned risk pool / residual market
- Casual employment
- CE-200 (New York)
- Certificate holder
- Certificate of election
- Certificate of insurance (COI)
- Civil penalty (uninsured employer)
- Class code
- Competitive state fund
- Construction vs non-construction classification