Voluntary Departure

A student attending college and working full time was permitted temporary disability benefits despite the alleged defense of "Voluntary Departure" from the workforce. The court's decision is unsurprising since that terminology is absent from the Workers’ Compensation Act.

Not an Exception

In most instances, the sole remedy for a worker injured at work is Workers’ Compensation Act [WCA] benefits. Even if the employer fails to obtain workers’ compensation insurance, the employee remains limited to those remedies provided under the WCA.

Shameless

The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL) has posted the names of 14 additional businesses to its Workplace Accountability in Labor List (aka The WALL), bringing to 82 the total number of delinquent employers with outstanding liabilities for violations of state wage, benefit or tax laws.

Misclassification Lawsuit Filed by NJ Attorney General

Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL) Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo announced today that they have filed the first lawsuit under a 2021 law that permits the State to file suit in New Jersey Superior Court against employers who have misclassified workers as independent contractors when they are, in fact, employees.

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.

Potential Impact of the Purdue Pharma Bankruptcy Case

The Purdue Pharma bankruptcy case will significantly impact workers’ compensation cases nationally. The US Supreme Court heard oral argument this week, and the potential consequences are far-reaching.

Arrowood Indemnity Company In Liquidation

On November 8, 2023, Arrowood Indemnity Company, a Delaware domestic property and casualty insurance company (“Arrowood”) was ordered liquidated by the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware (the “Court”).