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Showing posts with label Police. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Police. Show all posts

Saturday, October 13, 2018

First Responder Workers' Compensation Benefits Bill Advances

A public hearing of a bill (A1741 and S716) advancing workers' compensation benefits for first responders will be held on October 18, 2018 at 10:00 am Committee Room 15, 4th Floor, State House Annex, Trenton, NJ.

This bill creates a rebuttable presumption of workers’ compensation coverage for public safety workers and other employees in certain circumstances. The bill affirms that if, in the course of employment, a public safety worker is exposed to a serious communicable disease or a biological warfare or epidemic-related pathogen or biological toxin, all care or treatment of the worker, including services needed to ascertain whether the worker contracted the disease, shall be compensable under workers' compensation, even if the worker is found not to have contracted the disease.

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

NJ Police Officer Indicted for Misclassification and Workers' Compensation Fraud

Today's post was shared from www.trentonian.com
A Trenton police officer and his father were indicted last week on charges of false swearing and workers compensation fraud.
Trenton Police officer Gaetano Ponticiello, 42, and his father Filippo Ponticiello, 65, were indicted last week by a Mercer County grand jury on fourth-degree charges of false swearing and workers compensation fraud. Each offense carries a maximum penalty of 18 months in prison and a $10,000 fine.
According to prosecutors in the case, on Feb. 23, 2009, both Gaetano and Filippo made false statements under oath regarding workers compensation claims. Prosecutors say the false or misleading statements included a misclassification of employees for the purpose of evading the full payment of benefits or premiums.
Both father and son are scheduled to appear in Mercer County Superior Court Oct. 25.
Gaetano Ponticiello has been with the Trenton Police Department for at least 15 years. Lt. James Slack of the Trenton Police Department internal affairs told The Trentonian in July that Ponticiello has been suspended without pay.
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Thursday, June 13, 2013

Democratic Bill to Provide Lifetime Workers’ Compensation Benefits to Spouses of Police, Fire Personnel Killed in Line of Duty Signed Into Law

Legislation sponsored by Assembly Democrats Annette Quijano, Valerie Vainieri Huttle, Jason O'Donnell, Ruben Ramos and Nelson Albano to provide lifetime workers' compensation benefits to surviving spouses of fire and police personnel who die in the line of duty has was signed into law on Thursday.

"These are dangerous professions with potentially deadly consequences," said Quijano (D-Union). "Police and fire personnel should have the peace of mind that their families will be provided for if they are killed in the line of duty. The work that they do and the risks they take warrants it."

"Police and fire work is inherently dangerous. These firefighters and police personnel have families they have to provide for. In some cases, they may be the main breadwinners," said Vainieri Huttle (D-Bergen). 'Making sure their families are provided for is the least we can do."

"Few other professions involve the daily risks faced by firefighters and police personnel. This is a burden not just on them, but their families," said O'Donnell (D-Hudson). "They should have the comfort of knowing that if their lives are ever claimed by the job, their families will be taken care of."

"This important legislation to the men and women who put their lives on the line every day in our communities," said Ramos (D-Hudson). 'It is the right thing to do for the families of these individuals if a tragedy occurs. For their dedication to our communities, their families should be provided for."

"New Jersey's firefighters and police officers perform an honorable duty in serving our communities," said Albano (D-Cape May/Atlantic/Cumberland). "And sometimes, these individuals pay the ultimate price while on the job. The service of the police and firefighters should be honored by ensuring their families continue to be taken care of in the event of their death."

The new law (A-2756) (S-1252) will provide workers' compensation benefits to surviving spouses of members of the state police or members of fire or police departments or forces who die in the line of duty during the entire period of their survivorship, even if the spouse remarries. Surviving spouses of deceased members of the state police or fire or police departments currently receive a lump sum upon any remarriage which occurs during the first 450 weeks of benefits.

Under the law, a surviving spouse of a state trooper or member of a fire or police department who died in the line of duty will continue to receive weekly workers' compensation benefits as long as the surviving spouse lives, regardless of remarriage. The provisions of the law do not apply to a surviving spouse of a member of the state police or member of a fire or police department who died in the line of duty if that surviving spouse received a lump sum payment or remarried prior to the effective date of the law.