Northeast Philadelphia Workers’ Compensation Office Moving to Electronic Filings

On May 14, 2008, the Workers’ Compensation Section of the Philadelphia Bar Association received an e-mail that all pleadings (including briefs and stipulations resolving disputes between parties) addressed to Workers’ Compensation Judge Aida Louise Harris, in the Northeast Philadelphia Workers’ Compensation Office must be submitted on CD in Microsoft Word format, 12 point font.

Though this new procedure was revoked in a later e-mail on May 19, 2008, this is clearly the direction that office is taking. Indeed, the e-mail revoking the new procedure specifically stated that the procedure was being revoked only because “due to technological issues, the electronic submission initiative cannot be implemented as yet.”

Other courts, in recent years, have been moving to electronic submissions, so this is not a surprising development. We will, of course, keep you up to date if this new procedure does go into effect. Also, be aware that you can review the procedures of any participating Workers’ Comp Judge at the website of the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry.