Romero v. Star Markets

OPINION OF THE COURT BY ACOBA, J. On December 24, 1992, Petitioner-Appellee Patricia S. Romero (Petitioner) filed an ex parte motion for entry of judgment in the circuit court against her employer, Star Markets, Ltd. (Star Market) and its insurer Liberty Mutual Insurance Co. (collectively Respondents) under Hawai'i Revised Statutes (HRS) §§ 386-91(a) (1993) and 386-124 (1993).1 HRS § 386-91(a), part of the workers' compensation laws, authorizes the circuit court to render judgments enforcing decisions of the director of the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations (DLIR) or the appellate board of the DLIR (the Labor Appeals Board). HRS § 386-91(a) provides in relevant part as follows: