Travelers Insurance v. Hawaii Roofing, Inc.

OPINION OF THE COURT BY

NAKAMURA, J.

Does the governing statutory scheme permit a circuit court to resolve a dispute over a workers’ compensation insurance carrier’s responsibility for payments to a compensation claimant? We find that HRS Chapter 386 vests original jurisdiction to determine issues arising under the Hawaii Workers’ Compensation Law in the Director of Labor and Industrial Relations (the Director). And since appeals from his decisions must be taken to the Labor and Industrial Relations Appeals Board and then to this court, there is no room within the relevant scheme for circuit…