MS HB856

Amends Mississippi Code Section 71-3-71 to allow deduction of the employer's percentage of fault from net proceeds recovered in third-party lawsuits by injured employees or dependents.

Requires courts to fix the percentage of fault attributable to the employer for the proximate cause of injuries, or the Workers' Compensation Commission in cases settled without suit.

Establishes deduction order: reasonable collection costs first, then employer's proportional fault percentage, then remaining proceeds applied to employer/insurer liability, with any surplus going to the employee or dependents.

Allows employers and insurers who paid compensation benefits to maintain legal action against third parties responsible for the injury or death, with similar fault deduction provisions applied.

Effective date: July 1, 2018.