Governor Murphy announced a new Executive Order (EO) providing on-the-job protections for all workers in New Jersey. New Jersey joins only three other states in creating such guidelines, as OSHA and the Federal government have failed to take action in this regard. This EO is designed to ensure that consistent standards are applied by employers to protect employees.
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All Essential Workers Now Deemed “Eligible” for Workers’ Compensation Benefits Under New Legislation
On September 14, 2020, New Jersey Governor Murphy signed important legislation that benefits all workers who contracted COVID-19 while working through the current pandemic. The legislation creates the presumption that the contracted illness is “work related.” Before this legislation was signed, only “public safety workers” such as police, fire, EMT, and medical personnel, were granted this presumption.
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First 3 Steps to Take After Getting Injured at Work
Here is what you should do if you have been hurt at work.
Report your accident
Immediately tell your supervisor or safety director about your accident, even if you do not think you need immediate medical attention. You never know when something small will turn into something big and it is better to be safe than sorry. You or your employer will then complete an incident report making a record of the event. Failure to report an injury in a timely manner could result in the denial of benefits.
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New Jersey Workers’ Compensation Benefits Unraveled – Part 3
New Jersey workers’ compensation benefits are governed under N.J.S.A. 34:15 et seq. There are three benefits you are entitled to when you get hurt at work in New Jersey: payment of medical bills, payment of temporary disability benefits or wage replacement and payment of an award of permanent disability. I will address each of these in a series of blogs.
This is the third in a series of three blogs. The previous blogs can be found here: Part 1, Part 2.
This blog will focus on the benefit known as permanent partial disability. After medical treatment has been provided and the authorized doctor tells you there is nothing more he can do, you may be entitled to a monetary award even if you have returned to work full duty (see prior blogs). This benefit is payable if the injury has a permanent impact on your life.
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New Jersey Workers’ Compensation Benefits Unraveled – Part 2
New Jersey workers’ compensation benefits are governed under N.J.S.A. 34:15, et seq. There are three benefits you are entitled to when you get hurt at work in New Jersey: payment of medical bills, payment of temporary disability benefits or wage replacement and payment of an award of permanent disability. I will address each of these in a series of blogs.
This is the second in a series of three blogs. Blog one can be read here: Part 1.
When you are hurt at work and the authorized doctor (see previous blog) indicates that you must be out of work to recover from your injury, you may be entitled to receive a portion of your wages. The law in New Jersey entitles you to 70% of your gross weekly wage. However, if you earn in excess of $1,221.50 per week, you can never receive more than $855.00 per week.
Continue Reading New Jersey Workers’ Compensation Benefits Unraveled – Part 2
New Jersey Workers’ Compensation Benefits Unraveled
New Jersey workers’ compensation benefits are governed under N.J.S.A. 34:15 et seq. There are three benefits you are entitled to when you get hurt at work in New Jersey: payment of medical bills, payment of temporary disability benefits or wage replacement and payment of an award of permanent disability. I will address each of these
How Social Security Disability and Workers’ Compensation Really Work
Understanding workers’ compensation can be tricky enough for the average person, but determining how this interacts with your social security disability can be even trickier. Many often ask me: “Can I work while collecting social security disability benefits, and how does this affect my New Jersey workers’ compensation benefits?”
The short answer is yes, but
Understanding Work Related Accidents & Workplace Accommodations
After you’re injured in a work related accident, there are many steps that you need to take. You’ll need to arrange doctor’s appointments and potentially schedule physical or occupational therapy sessions to determine the length and severity of your injuries. After the accident, you may also need extra accommodations once you return to work, which poses a difficult but important question: what should I do if I have permanent restrictions as a result of a work related accident, but my employer will not accommodate me?
For those unsure or unaware, the benefits payable under New Jersey’s workers’ compensation include payment of medical bills, temporary disability benefits while the worker is recovering from an injury, and permanent disability benefits, which are subject to a schedule of benefits. This is all available so an injured worker can be compensated for the ways in which the injury will have a permanent impact on their life. For some, this impact may mean that they not physically capable of returning to their former job. When this happens, they may need training to re-enter the workforce; however, this is not something that workers’ compensation is obligated to provide.
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The Most Common Family Law Issues in Workers’ Compensation
A work-related injury can have a devastating effect on a family physically, financially, and emotionally. Sometimes a family cannot recover from these stressors and they find themselves in family court facing a variety of unexpected issues. This blog will address both child support and equitable distribution, some of the most frequently asked questions.
Child Support
When you are out of work due to a work-related injury or illness, you are entitled to receive workers’ compensation temporary disability benefits. In New Jersey, the law provides that you receive 70% of your gross weekly wage subject to a statutory maximum benefit in 2015 of $855 per week. Benefits are paid directly by the workers’ compensation insurance carrier to the injured worker.
This can cause a problem if your child support payments are paid directly out of your regular paycheck. The fact that you are not receiving your regular paycheck does not suspend your obligation. It is your responsibility to pay your weekly obligation out of your workers’ compensation temporary disability benefits. You may pay the support directly or ask the judge of Compensation for court order reducing your weekly workers’ compensation benefit and paid by the carrier to the probation office. However, because benefits are only a portion of your regular wages, many obligors fall behind on their payments when they have be out of work while recovering from an injury. Under these circumstances, the past due benefits continue to accrue and you will go into arrears. These arrears are still your responsibility to pay and will be deducted, at least in part, from any award you receive for permanent disability.
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Exposure to Lead is a Work Hazard for New Jersey Police and Corrections Officers
The Seattle Times recently published a five-part series entitled “Loaded with Lead” regarding the dangers of lead poisoning from shooting ranges. The series was researched over a one year period of time and studied private shooting ranges in nearly all 50 states. In the study, only 1 private range in NJ was inspected, but out