Articles Posted in PA Workers Compensation Bureau Update

Nearly two full years after COVID-19 briefly shut down the Pennsylvania workers’ compensation system, and then created a dramatic shift in how litigation was done, the PA Bureau of Workers’ Compensation has announced measures to return to some level of our prior (the old “normal”) operation.

It has been since March, 2020, that most of us in the workers’ compensation bar have physically been inside of a workers’ comp hearing room.  Nearly every hearing and mediation since that time has taken place in a virtual format.

The Workers’ Compensation Office of Adjudication (WCOA) has officially announced that mask mandates have been lifted and live (in person) hearings and mediations may again commence.  While the virtual hearings which have become the new “normal” will continue in some respects, it appears that live testimony will once again be taking place.  You may recall that the PA workers’ comp courts were permitted to be “open” as of August 16, 2021, though very few Workers’ Compensation Judges (WCJs) actually held live hearings.  At Brilliant & Neiman LLC, we have not been involved in a live hearing since March, 2020.

The Pennsylvania Bureau of Workers’ Compensation has announced that The Honorable Ashley Drinkwine will be a new Workers Compensation Judge (WCJ) assigned to the Philadelphia Workers’ Compensation Hearing Office.  Judge Drinkwine will be taking the place of Judge Scott Olin, who has retired after many successful years on the bench.  The decorum and wisdom of Judge Olin will be missed and we wish him well in his retirement.

Specifically, the release states:

“The WCOA is pleased to announce the hiring of new Workers’ Compensation Judge Ashley Drinkwine who will replace the recently retired Judge Scott Olin in the Philadelphia hearing office.  Judge Drinkwine will begin her statutorily mandated training beginning June 1, 2021.  Congratulations Judge Drinkwine!”

We apologize for having such infrequent posts these past several months.  Like much of society, things have slowed down since the pandemic arrived.  There seem to be fewer appellate decisions coming down, and those that do seem more frequently to be unreported decisions.  This makes it more difficult to find things to share with our readers.

Similarly, the Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Office of Adjudication is continuing to have the parties litigate matters remotely, using either telephone or videoconferencing for hearings and depositions.  Unlike family conversations, Zoom is a platform we cannot use, apparently due to security concerns.  Instead, some Workers’ Compensation Judges (WCJs) use WebEx and others use Teams (what was Skype for Business).

The advantages of litigating cases remotely, obviously, are vast.  We eliminate the need to travel to hearings in various counties across the State (we represent clients as far west as Carlisle, Harrisburg and Mechanicsburg, as far south as Delaware County and as far north as the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area).  Basically, we handles cases throughout the Southeastern, Northeastern and Central parts of PA.

As we noted in our June 2020 update, the Pennsylvania Bureau of Workers’ Compensation began to (technically) allow limited in-person hearings, in counties which have been declared to be in the “Green” phase by Governor Wolf.  This announcement was made on June 12, 2020, to take effect June 19, 2020.  As a practical matter, we have yet to have an in-person hearing scheduled.  Regular hearings continue to operate by telephone conference, with video conference as the other option.

There appear many different feelings among Workers’ Compensation Judges (WCJs) regarding the taking of testimony of an injured worker or fact witness.  Some WCJs have expressed an interest in video conferencing for the testimony of the injured worker and fact witnesses (for which the Bureau appears to be using Skype for Business primarily, though I understand there is discussion of other platforms).  On the other hand, since the WCJ cannot know who else is in the room, other WCJs want simply deposition testimony of the injured worker or fact witnesses, feeling they get no advantage by watching the video.  I tend to agree with a WCJ who told me that, as long as he can watch the eyes of a witness, he can tell if they are being coached or reading notes.  Another WCJ explained that she did not want in-person testimony of my client, since the required use of a mask took away from the WCJ’s ability to fully evaluate the demeanor of my client.  This would not be an issue with video conference.

While we, as attorneys for the injured workers, really want the WCJ to personally see our client while he or she testifies, antagonizing a judge is never a good idea in litigation.  For the most part, WCJs will generally agree to videoconferencing of the injured worker testimony, since in-person is not commonly available.  This seems to be the most reasonable alternative.

As more counties across Pennsylvania reach the “Green” phase in the COVID-19 recovery process, attorneys involved in the PA workers’ compensation process were curious to know how this will impact the operations of the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation.  Yesterday, we were advised by the Bureau that, “(t)he designation of counties as ‘green’ does not automatically signal a return to in-person hearings.”  Instead, live, in-person hearings will only be permitted in limited situations.  This will be at the discretion of the Workers’ Compensation Judge (WCJ), where the WCJ feels it critical to have in-person testimony of a witness to properly assess credibility.  In-person hearings will only be permitted in counties that are in the “Green” phase of COVID recovery.

Either party can request that testimony of a witness be taken in-person, but the WCJ will have complete latitude to grant or deny the request.  Such a request should “include a justification and the position of the opposing party on the request.”  The WCJ can also determine, on his or her own motion, that in-person testimony will be necessary.

Significant changes will be made to prior procedures in the workers’ compensation hearing offices.  Only one Judge will hold hearings per day, and there will be a scheduled break between cases, so that an interim cleaning can be performed.  As the Bureau notes, “Each individual who enters the office has a personal responsibility to follow the CDC and DOH guidelines for handwashing, social distancing, wearing masks, and staying home if sick.”  All attendees to a hearing will be screened by security (to ask about wellness, in addition to the typical security screening).  No persons will be permitted to enter a workers’ comp hearing location without a mask (sadly, the new normal).