Blog

The New Jersey Workers’ Compensation Act provides that temporary disability benefits equaling 70% of the employee’s gross average weekly wages (up to the state maximum rate) shall be paid if the employee is unable to work as a result of a work accident, until he has reached maximum medical improvement from treatment. How Long After a Workers’ Compensation Claim Is…Read More

On February 13, 2023, NJ State Senator Zwicker (D) introduced a bill regarding “gender-affirming healthcare” for children. Given the title of the bill, one might be forgiven for thinking that the proposed legislation sought to protect children by affirming that they are perfect just the way they were born, even if they do fit into traditional gender stereotypes. Rather, Senator…Read More

Goodbye Christa! For the past 11 years, the phones at Pezzano Law Grouphave been answered by Christa, who always greeted clients and attorneys alike with the same friendly manner. Christa eventually became our “client intake specialist” since she displays empathy and compassion to those experiencing difficulties. She also kept the office organized, scanning all documents, and routing them to the appropriate…Read More

On August 2, 2022, the New Jersey Supreme Court issued a major decision regarding independent contractors. In East Bay Drywall, LLC vs. Dept. of Labor, the Court ruled against a drywall company in finding that it misclassified employees as independent contractors. As a result, the company owes the State over $42,000 in unpaid unemployment and temporary disability contributions for those…Read More

Courthouses have long been protected by armed Sheriff’s officers or security guards, for good reason. Irate litigants have been known to make threats against Judges and Court personnel when they are unhappy with the outcome of a Court proceeding. In 2005, one injured worker drove his pickup truck through the front window of the Division of Workers’ Compensation in Morris…Read More

The New Jersey Workers’ Compensation Act [“the WC Act”] requires an employer to furnish to an injured worker all medical treatment necessary to cure and relieve her from the effects of the injury and restore function whenever possible. Courts have interpreted this responsibility as empowering the workers’ compensation insurance carrier to direct medical care to specific physicians. Unfortunately, many carriers…Read More

What if the ultimate tragedy occurs at the workplace and an employee is killed at work or dies as a result of work-related injuries? The employee’s family is entitled to receive “dependency benefits,” to compensate them for the loss of their loved one’s income. Similar to the limitation of lifetime workers’ compensation benefits, the family is not entitled to receive…Read More

The United States Supreme Court recently issued opinions on January 13, 2022, striking down OSHA’s vaccine mandate for large employers, but also permitting the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to mandate the COVID vaccine for all healthcare workers employed at facilities which accept Medicare funding, unless exempted for medical or religious reasons. Governor Murphy took Medicare’s vaccine mandate…Read More

Both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ [CMS] fall under the umbrella of the Department of Health and Human Services [HHS]. The Occupational Safety & Health Administration [OSHA], is the agency within the Department of Labor, tasked with implementing rules on workplace safety. Administrative agencies, such as the CDC, CMS,…Read More

Franklin Delano Roosevelt once said, "there is nothing to fear, but fear itself." Yet today, we seem to be in a constant state of fear. There is undoubtedly much to be concerned about, including the novel coronavirus. However, I wonder if we have become irrationally fearful. As a young mother, I was plagued by nagging worries about dangers to my…Read More