Rhode Island § 28-29-17 - Workers’ Compensation — General Provisions

§ 28-29-17. Waiver of common law rights — Notice of claim of common law right.

Employees or corporate officers of an employer, or managers, managing members, or members of a limited-liability company subject to or who have elected to become subject to the provisions of chapters 29 — 38 of this title as provided in § 28-29-8 shall be held to have waived his or her right of action at common law to recover damages for personal injuries if he or she has not given his or her employer at the time of the contract of hire or appointment notice in writing that he or she claims that right and within ten (10) days after that has filed a copy of the notice with the director, or, if the contract of hire or appointment was made before the employer became subject to or elected to become subject to the provisions of those chapters, the employee, or corporate officer, or manager, managing member, or member of a limited-liability company must have given notice and filed it with the director within ten (10) days after the filing by the employer who or that is subject to or who or that has elected to become subject to the provisions of those chapters of the written statement as provided. That waiver shall continue in force for the term of one year, and after that, without further act on his or her part, for successive terms of one year each, unless the employee, or corporate officer, or manager, managing member, or member of a limited-liability company, at least sixty (60) days prior to the expiration of the first or any succeeding year files with the director a notice in writing to the effect that he or she desires to claim his or her right of action at common law and within ten (10) days thereafter gives notice of this to his or her employer.