On November 4th, Governor Tom Wolf signed Senate Bill 94 (SB-94) into law, after it had unanimously passed both the Pennsylvania House and Senate last week. SB-94 is the latest amendment to the Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Act and expands the definition of who is considered an employee of volunteer emergency responders to include those that… Read more

(Philadelphia, PA) – Jenna King, Esq., our newest workers’ compensation associate, was nominated to the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Workers’ Compensation Council during its May 2020 meeting. Ms. King will serve a three-year term on the Workers’ Compensation Council. Ms. King joins Martin Law partners George Martin and Matthew Wilson who have been council members since 1987… Read more

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Pennsylvanians have been subject to layoffs and indefinite furloughs in historic numbers. The difference between a furlough and a layoff is strictly one of employment relationship. In most instances, furloughed workers are still considered employees of their organization during the unpaid leave of absence whereas laid off workers are… Read more

If you have been denied the full compensation you deserve from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), you have the right to handle the entire process yourself. However, you should consider working with a knowledgeable veterans law attorney. You will be at a significant disadvantage without one. The appeals process that follows a denial can… Read more

The Firefighters Cancer Presumption Act and other laws provide increased workers’ comp coverage for firefighters.When the calls for help come in, firefighters charge into burning buildings while other people run out of them. The real risks of the job, however, often appear years later. Firefighters have a significantly higher risk of cancer and certain other… Read more

Injured workers can receive Workers’ comp and SSDI at the same time, but benefit amounts may be reduced.If you have been permanently disabled in a work-related accident, you may wonder if you can obtain Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits in addition to your workers’ compensation benefits. In many cases, you can. Workers who are… Read more

A Pennsylvania appellate court held that a convenience store worker who suffered fatal injuries while chasing a thief was eligible for workers’ comp benefits.Walter Wetzel died in April 2010, several months after he was run over in his employer’s convenience store parking lot while trying to stop a thief. Three years later, a Pennsylvania appellate… Read more

A trend of hiring contingent workers rather than employees is raising concerns about worker misclassification and its effect on workers’ compensation.United Parcel Service (UPS) and FedEx Ground are major competitors in the U.S. package delivery service. UPS’ iconic brown and FedEx Ground’s navy blue uniforms are familiar to millions of people. For the delivery drivers,… Read more

When a person thinks of the workers’ compensation system, he or she rarely considers attempted murder. However, a woman who was attacked by her own son can actually receive workers’ compensation benefits, according to a ruling from Commonwealth Court. The woman was caring for her son via a state compensation agreement. According to records, the… Read more