Ethical AI Use: Essential Guidelines for Attorneys

The American Bar Association (ABA) issued Formal Opinion 512, which provides crucial guidance on attorneys' ethical use of Generative AI (GAI) tools. The opinion focuses on competency, confidentiality, communication, supervision, and fees. It also outlines attorney responsibilities and ethical obligations.

Expert’s Published Study Protected Speech

A Federal Court held that the statements in a published academic article authored by a plaintiff’s expert were not actionable because they were either statements of opinion or because they were protected by the First Amendment.

Long COVID Continues as a Workplace Crisis

Long COVID continues to impact the lives of US workers. Millions of Americans live with long COVID and its many symptoms. These include fatigue, cognitive impairment (commonly referred to as muscle or joint pain, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, sleep difficulties, mood changes, and more. With millions of Americans suffering daily, more must be done to address this crisis.

Household Contact Awarded $30 Million Verdict for Mesothelioma

Employers have a responsibility not only to their employees but also to their household contacts, individuals who live in the employee’s home. Employees who are exposed at work may carry the toxic substances home on their clothes or their body.

Time to Review Cybersecurity

As the year is winding down for law firms, it would be a good time to review their cybersecurity protocols. A major threat is ransomware attacks. 

Analysis of the OSHA Report on Severe Injury: A Seven-Year Lookback

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) published the "Severe Injury Report: A Seven-Year Lookback"  summarizing employer-reported inpatient hospitalizations, amputations, and eye losses from 2015 to 2021. This report provides valuable insights into the prevalence and nature of severe workplace injuries, helping identify areas for improvement in workplace safety.

Implementing AI for Workers’ Compensation Law Firms and Insurance Companies

Artificial intelligence [AI] opens new frontiers for workers’ compensation law firms and insurance companies. Last week, Google announced new applications that will vastly expand how workers’ compensation claims can be serviced, managed, and supported.

The case for increased counsel fees

Long overdue legislation has been introduced in the NJ Assembly to increase workers' compensation counsel's fees for petitioner's/claimant's attorneys. The workers' compensation law field has historically been considered a legal specialty that needs to be improved in the quality of representation available to injured workers. It has hindered the ability of injured workers to seek adequate recoveries in the administrative law system.

Use of Opioid Settlement Funds in NJ

As part of the Murphy Administration’s ongoing efforts to help New Jerseyans impacted by the opioid crisis, and in recognition of Overdose Awareness Day, Governor Phil Murphy announced additional steps the Administration is taking in New Jersey. Through a new online portal and Executive Order No. 305, the Governor has established two methods through which members of the public and relevant stakeholders can provide their input on the best use of the opioid settlement funds that New Jersey is receiving.

An Abnormal Hurricane Season is Still Predicted

A major disrupters in the workers’ compensation system is hurricanes. Now is the time to prepare for such events. The 2022 Season is still predicted to be an abnormally high season. 

NJ Supreme Court Enhances Workplace Safety and Adopts an Updated Standard for Medical Causation

A divided NJ Supreme Court upheld a verdict for an employee who suffered mesothelioma, a fatal cancer, as a result of a product manufacturer’s failure to warn of the lethal nature of the product in the workplace. The Court acknowledged that even minor exposure to asbestos could cause disease.

"Unmasking COVID" in 2022, Where Are We Now?

A panel of infectious disease experts and public health specialists of the Veterans Administration who have been involved in the national COVID response discuss strategies to contain the spread of the Omicron variant and stay safe.

What is our COVID-19 Future?

Over the last two years, chaos has reigned in the workplace as workers, employers, and insurance companies attempted to adjust to the emergence of COVID and its multiple variants. While infectious diseases have impacted occupational environments in the last century, the lack of preparation was totally inadequate.

Another Hurdle to Prove an Occupational Disease Claim

An attempt to restrict the admission of scientific evidence has been proposed on the Federal level. Even though states have maintained their independence for the most part on this issue, the suggested changes signal an emerging national effort to restrict further the admissibility of scientific evidence that may trickle down to the state judicial systems.

Innovation is Necessary to Meet the Challenge of COVID in 2022

COVID is the most extensive occupational exposure event in the history of the United States. Workplaces are now primed for a massive wave of compensation claims due to the Omicron variant. A recent study provides a potential opportunity for employers and insurance companies to reduce their risk exposure through early sequencing and treatment proactively.

Household Contacts can sue an employer for harm caused by COVID

The longstanding principle that household contacts of an employee can sue an employer for harm has been upheld in a California claim. An employee who brought home the COVID virus and infected a household member, in this case, death, was the basis of a direct case by the deceased family member’s estate against the employer.

OMG, Omicron!

A panel of infectious disease experts and public health specialists of the Veterans Administration who have been involved in the national COVID response discuss strategies to contain the spread of the Omicron variant and stay safe.

Is the Workers' Compensation System Prepared for Omicron (Updated 12/10/21)

As this holiday season approaches, employers, insurance companies, and employees will be facing what may be the biggest COVID challenges of the year. The highly infectious disease variant Omicron detected initially in South Africa is spreading worldwide, including reported cases in the US.

A Season of Storms: Assessing and Preparing for the Next Pandemic - The 20th Annual Law Firm COO & CFO Forum

A Season of Storms: Assessing and Preparing for the Next Pandemic 

Among the many sobering realities of the past 21 months is the growing chorus of medical personnel warning of the next pandemic. For many, it is less a question of if but when a novel zoonotic virus will make its presence known across the globe. Indeed, with SARS-CoV-2 just one of an estimated 500,000+ pathogens capable of spilling over from animal to human, the onus is on public health and government officials to proactively identify and curtail nascent threats—all while weathering the existing storm. 

COVID Boosters: What Employees and Employers Need to Know

Many employers and state governments are mandating that employees be vaccinated against COVID. Confusion remains over the rapidly changing landscape of booster doses as reports of waning or compromised immunity even though a worker is considered “fully vaccinated” when the original series of doses are completed.