Just Published - Workers' Compensation Law 2021 COVID-19 Update

Jon Gelman’s* newly revised and the updated treatise on Workers’ Compensation Law has been published by Thomson Reuters®. The treatise is the most complete and research integrated work available on NJ Workers’ Compensation law. Updated annually for over 35 years, this body of work provides practical tips, objective analysis, and academic support for the workers' compensation community.

Initial Unemployment Claims in NJ Surpass 2 Million Since COVID-19 Hit

The NJ Department of Labor and Workforce Development has received more than 2 million** initial applications for unemployment in the past 11 months, more than at any other point in history and a sobering reminder of the continuing impact of COVID-19 on New Jersey workers.

Health Advocates Petition 9th Circuit for Asbestos Relief from EPA’s Flawed Final Risk Evaluation for Asbestos

Joined by five public health groups and six leading asbestos scientists, the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO), an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing asbestos exposure, today asked the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to review the asbestos risk evaluation issued last month by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).

Volunteer's Injury at Community Outreach Event Compensable

The NJ Supreme Court has held that an injury sustained while volunteering at her employer-sponsored event is compensable because the event was not a social or recreational activity. 

Investigative Report Raises Issues

The tension between public pension systems and workers' compensation programs was highlighted in a recent investigative report by the NJ State Comptroller. The report raises additional critical issues common to other state and national collateral social insurance programs challenged by current fiscal limitations.

Navigable Waterway Confers Jurisdiction

The Third Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that workers compensation benefits are payable under The Longshore and Harbor Workers Compensation Act (LHWCA) if the worker injured on “navigable water.” There is no need to prove that the waterway “is capable of sustaining ‘commonly used large commercial ships” or if there is evidence of ‘present commercial use.’”

HHS Amends PREP Act Declaration to Increase Workforce Authorized to Administer COVID-19 Vaccines

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today issued the fifth amendment to the Declaration under the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act (PREP Act) to add additional categories of qualified persons authorized to prescribe, dispense, and administer COVID-19 vaccines authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.