We received word from Elizabeth Crum, Director of Adjudication for the Pennsylvania Bureau of Workers’ Compensation that two Workers’ Compensation Judges (WCJs) will be assigned to different hearing offices shortly after the new year. WCJ Michael Hetrick, formerly with the Lancaster hearing office in the Eastern District, will be transferred…
The Pennsylvania Bureau of Workers’ Compensation has just announced that the maximum workers’ compensation rate for injuries suffered in 2015 will be $951.00 per week. This is an increase over the $932.00 for injuries suffered in 2014. While we applaud the increase, we continue to be mindful of the general…
It now is appearing to be a refreshing change in the way the Pennsylvania Bureau of Workers’ Compensation communicates changes in the staffing of the workers’ comp hearing offices across the State. Not long ago, we learned of changes among Workers’ Compensation Judges (WCJ) either through the grapevine, or from…
We just received word from the Pennsylvania Bureau of Workers’ Compensation that, as of May 20, 2014, the Scranton Workers’ Compensation Hearing Office will be moving from 400 Spruce Street, Suite 500 in Scranton, down the street to 321 Spruce Street, 3rd Floor, Scranton. The zip code (and the telephone…
Sometimes the Pennsylvania Bureau of Workers’ Compensation is hard to figure out. Typically, the hiring or transfer of Workers’ Compensation Judges (WCJs) is done behind the scenes with no formal notice or announcement. We usually discover the news through the grapevine. Indeed, yesterday, a member of the judiciary advised us…
It is with mixed emotion that we received word of the retirement of Workers’ Compensation Judge (WCJ) Carl Lorine. Judge Lorine was a member of the judiciary in the Upper Darby Workers’ Compensation Hearing Office, which is located in the Southeastern District. Prior to becoming a WCJ, Judge Lorine served…
When an injured worker in Pennsylvania discovers that it may take a year or more to get a decision in his or her PA workers’ compensation case, the client is often, understandably, distraught. We often explain that our job is to maximize the chances that the case is litigated properly,…
On Friday, January 24, 2014, our offices will be closed for part of the day so our attorneys, and our staff, can attend a seminar regarding the usage of the new computer system recently installed for the Pennsylvania Bureau of Workers’ Compensation. Called the WCAIS system, this program went live…
One of the few recent laws passed in Pennsylvania which helped injured workers was the creation of the Uninsured Employers Guaranty Fund (UEGF). This fund was designed to be used in cases where the injured worker was employed by someone who (in direct violation of PA law) failed to carry…
As scheduled, the Workers’ Compensation Automation and Integration System (WCAIS) went live for the Pennsylvania Bureau of Workers’ Compensation on September 9, 2013. Having been in on the ground floor of this massive undertaking, we watched this transition with great interest. While we are excited with the possibilities this new…