Which statement best describes the relationship between workers' compensation and civil litigation against the employer in Rhode Island?

• A. Employees can sue the employer for any injury
• B. Workers' compensation is the exclusive remedy, precluding most civil suits against the employer for work-related injuries
• C. Civil suits are the primary remedy
• D. Workers' compensation is optional

Answer: (B)

In Rhode Island, workers’ compensation serves as the employee’s exclusive remedy against the employer for work-related injuries in most cases. This means once a workers’ compensation claim is filed, the employee generally cannot pursue a separate civil lawsuit against the employer for damages arising from the injury. The trade-off is that the employee receives medical benefits and wage replacement promptly, but cannot recover additional damages like pain and suffering through a separate suit. There are narrow exceptions (for example, if the employer acted intentionally or did not carry workers’ compensation coverage, or the injury involved a non-employer third party), but the standard rule is that workers’ compensation precludes most civil actions against the employer.