Where a residential counselor at a Pennsylvania inpatient psychiatric facility sought and successfully secured a $40,000 settlement from her employer in a workers’ compensation proceeding in connection with injuries she...
Settlement of Comp Claim Bars Subsequent Civil Action Against Employer on “Third Party Attack” Theory Settlement of Comp Claim Bars Subsequent Civil Action Against Employer on “Third Party Attack” TheoryWith a tip of the hat to those of you who reported to the office today — according to a recent research article by Joyce Maroney, Executive Director of the...
Super Bowl Monday Special: PA Court Says NFL Player Was Not “Seasonal” Employee Super Bowl Monday Special: PA Court Says NFL Player Was Not “Seasonal” EmployeeConstruing the so-called “borrowed employee” doctrine, the Superior Court of Pennsylvania stressed that where a worker employed by one company is furnished by that company to perform work for another...
Pennsylvania Borrowed Employee May Not Sue Borrowing Employer In Tort Pennsylvania Borrowed Employee May Not Sue Borrowing Employer In TortSection 306(a.3) Mandating Use of AMA Guides, 6th Ed., Stands In enacting 77 Pa. Stat. § 511.3, which mandates a physician’s use of the American Medical Association “Guides to the...
PA Court Says “Protz-Fix” is Constitutionally OK PA Court Says “Protz-Fix” is Constitutionally OKInjured Employee Must Either Assign Cause or Join Litigation as Party Plaintiff In Pennsylvania, a workers’ compensation insurance carrier may not maintain a third-party action against an alleged tortfeasor on...
Divided PA Supreme Court Refuses to Allow Comp Carrier to Maintain Third-Party Action on Behalf of Injured Employee Divided PA Supreme Court Refuses to Allow Comp Carrier to Maintain Third-Party Action on Behalf of Injured EmployeeAs was widely anticipated, on Wednesday (October 24, 2018), Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf signed House Bill 1840, known by some as “the Protz fix,” reestablishing that the AMA Guides, 6th...
PA Governor Wolf Signs House Bill 1840 (i.e., “the Protz Fix”) PA Governor Wolf Signs House Bill 1840 (i.e., “the Protz Fix”)Last Thursday (October 18, 2018), the Pennsylvania legislature sent House Bill 1840, a/k/a “the Protz Fix,” to Governor Wolf’s desk for his signature. Passed by an easy 34-15 margin, the...
Protz “Fix” Awaits PA Governor’s Signature Protz “Fix” Awaits PA Governor’s SignatureStrong Subrogation Rights Exist Only as to Payments Made under WCA Acknowledging that an employer/carrier’s outlay of workers’ compensation benefits entitles it to a subrogation lien on any recovery the...
PA High Court Says No Subrogation Allowed Regarding Heart and Lung Benefits PA High Court Says No Subrogation Allowed Regarding Heart and Lung BenefitsYesterday (October 2, 2017), a cadre of 29 Pennsylvania legislators introduced a bill—House Bill 1840—that would require physicians to apply the methodology set forth in “the sixth edition” of the...
PA Legislative Bill Would Require Use of 6th Edition of AMA Guides PA Legislative Bill Would Require Use of 6th Edition of AMA GuidesIn a highly anticipated decision, Protz v. Workers’ Comp. Appeal Bd. (Derry Area Sch. Dist.), 2017 Pa. LEXIS 1401 (June 20, 2017), a split Supreme Court of Pennsylvania yesterday held that...
Pennsylvania High Court Strikes Down Use of “Most Recent” AMA Guides Pennsylvania High Court Strikes Down Use of “Most Recent” AMA GuidesWhere a workers’ compensation benefits claimant initially returned to work in a modified-duty position at no loss of wages and subsequently accepted a permanent light-duty position that the employer had...
PA Employer Establishes Worker’s Loss of Earnings Claim by Creating Special Job That Paid Less PA Employer Establishes Worker’s Loss of Earnings Claim by Creating Special Job That Paid LessWhile issue preclusion generally applies to the decisions of Workers’ Compensation Boards and Commissions, just as it does generally to court decisions [see, e.g., Larson’s Workers’ Compensation Law, § 127.07],...
Arbitrator’s Decision in PA Heart and Lung Hearing is Not Binding on Workers’ Compensation Judge Arbitrator’s Decision in PA Heart and Lung Hearing is Not Binding on Workers’ Compensation Judge