Adopted New Code of Conduct for NJ Judges of Compensation

A public hearing on the proposed repeals, amendments, and a new rule was held on October 3, 2017, at the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, John Fitch Plaza, Trenton, New Jersey. David Fish, Executive Director, Legal and Regulatory Services, was available to preside at the hearing and to receive testimony. There were no attendees at the public hearing and the Department received no written comments. The hearing officer recommended that the Department proceed with the repeals, amendments, and new rule, without change.

2018 May Bring Reduced Lead Exposure in the Workplace

Lead paint exposure and resulting illness in the workplace may be reduced following a Federal 9th Circuit Court of Appeals decision this week. The Court mandated that the United States Environmental Protection Agency act upon a rulemaking petition concerning dust-levels and lead-paint standards.

ACE Work Boots Recalled by Shoes for Crews Due to Injury Hazard (Recall Alert)

The work boots were advertised as puncture-resistant, but were not manufactured with the puncture-resistant plate, posing an injury hazard to users. ACE Work Boots Recalled by Shoes for Crews Due to Injury Hazard (Recall Alert)

ACE Work Boots Recalled

Remedy:

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled boots and contact Shoes for Crews for instructions on receiving a full refund. The firm is contacting all known purchasers directly.

Units:

About 4,300

…

Jon L. Gelman of Wayne NJ is the author of NJ Workers’ Compensation Law (West-Thomson-Reuters) and co-author of the national treatise, Modern Workers’ Compensation Law (West-Thomson-Reuters). 

For over 4 decades theLaw Offices of Jon L Gelman  1.973.696.7900  jon@gelmans.com  has been representing injured workers and their families who have suffered occupational accidents and illnesses.

New Jersey Workers' Compensation Maximum Rates to Increase in 2018

In accordance with the provisions of N.J.S.A. 34:15-12.a, the maximum workers' compensation benefit rate for temporary disability, permanent total disability, permanent partial disability, and dependency is hereby promulgated as being $903.00 per week.

Workers’ Compensation and Judicial Discretion - Unpublished Decision

Even if something looks, sound and smells correct, judges must use their discretion within the bounds of due process restrictions. The road to final justice in workers’ compensation can sometimes be a long one.

Opioid Litigation: Anticipated Positive Impact on Workers' Compensation Systems

The increase, in both the number of settlements and magnitude of opioid lawsuits being filed, is anticipated having a positive outcome on workers' compensation systems that have suffered the burden of opioid addiction and death in epidemic proportions.

Cries of High Costs and Fraud – Watch for Reforms

Today’s post comes from guest author Kit Case, from Causey Wright, Seattle, Washington..

There is always discussion, in every state, about the expense of workers’ compensation insurance to employers. It is common to hear stories of corruption and fraud when employer costs run high. This discussion can lead to cries of fraud, usually with fingers pointed towards claimants and often tied into efforts to reduce benefits to injured workers. As a recent example, take a look at the article published on July 23rd in the Fresno Bee, written by Dan Walters of CALmatters, titled “California workers’ compensation system plagued by high costs and fraud.” In the article, Mr. Walters points to Southern California as an area particularly afflicted by fraud, inserting the hot-button phrase “immigrant workers,” as follows: