If you’re like most people, you don’t devote much time to thinking about your shoulders. But after you’ve hurt your shoulder, you quickly come to realize just how much you use your shoulders. When every motion — from standing up to laying down — is painful, you understand just how important shoulders truly are. There […]
Continue ReadingRecent News
Understanding New Jersey Workers’ Compensation Laws
Each year, millions of Americans are hurt at work. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), in 2018 alone, employers reported 2.8 million nonfatal workplace injuries. In that same year, 5,250 people died as a result of injuries and accidents at work. Employees who are injured or become ill at work — and […]
Continue ReadingCan You Receive Workers’ Comp for Anxiety or Stress?
When most people consider workers’ compensation, they typically think about a person who suffers some type of physical injury at work — such as falling from a high place, being crushed by equipment, or even losing a finger in a machinery accident. Yet workers’ compensation covers more than just injuries due to accidents. It also […]
Continue ReadingCan You Get Long-Term Disability Benefits If Your Employer Fired You and Ended Your Policy?
A disability insurance policy can be an incredibly valuable part of your overall financial strategy. These types of policies cover both short and long-term disabilities that may limit your ability to work. With 61 million adults living with a disability in the United States, this type of coverage can be crucial in providing financial stability […]
Continue ReadingHow Sleep Apnea Affects Your VA Rating
For individuals with sleep apnea, every day can be a struggle. A lack of sleep can make it difficult to focus or to complete basic tasks. If you have sleep apnea that is either the result of your military service or was caused by a different service-connected disability, you may be eligible for disability benefits […]
Continue ReadingMetLife Disability Claim Denials
Disability insurance is a smart option for anyone looking to hedge against uncertainty. Available for both short-term and long-term disabilities, this type of policy will provide benefits in the event that you are unable to work due to a physical or mental health condition. Unfortunately, claims for disability benefits are often denied — including by […]
Continue ReadingWhat Is a Functional Capacity Evaluation? Everything You Need to Know
If you are injured or become ill as a result of your work, you may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. These benefits are available to employees who suffered a job-related injury or illness. In both Pennsylvania and New Jersey, employers are required to provide workers’ compensation insurance for their employees. Workers’ comp is a […]
Continue ReadingHow Long Do Short-Term Disability Benefits Last?
Many of us start our working lives believing that we are invincible. Blessed to be relatively healthy, we may not consider the need for any type of protection from injury or illness. This type of positivity typically only lasts until something bad occurs either to us or to a loved one. More than 25% of […]
Continue ReadingCan You Work in a Different Occupation While Collecting Disability Income Benefits?
If you are unable to work due to a medical or mental health condition, you may be entitled to benefits under a long-term disability insurance policy. But what if you want to do some kind of work while you are on disability? Would do so lead to your benefits being terminated? There is a possibility […]
Continue ReadingCan Long-Term Disability Claims Be Denied for Pre-Existing Conditions
When you get coverage for long-term disabilities for pre-existing conditions from an insurance company, you probably assume that you will be awarded benefits if you are unable to work due to a disability. After all, that is the whole point of this type of policy — to provide compensation to individuals who cannot work because […]
Continue ReadingCan a Severance Agreement Eliminate the Right to Claim Disability Insurance Benefits?
When an employee leaves their job, either voluntarily or involuntarily, their employer may offer what is known as a severance package. These deals are often attractive, offering pay and/or benefits for a period of time after an employee leaves the company. Unfortunately, the agreements that underlie these packages are typically very unfavorable to employees. A […]
Continue ReadingExpectations on time-line in long-term disability claims
The Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) is a federal law that controls employee benefits, including group long-term disability policies. ERISA provides that you have 180 days from the date you receive an adverse decision (a denial or termination) to file an appeal. Hiring an attorney When you hire an attorney to handle your appeal, […]
Continue ReadingSocial Security Hearings and Centralized Scheduling
As of January 20, 2020, the Office of Hearings Operations has updated the Standard Operating Procedures to Centralized Scheduling Units. This means that there are new guidelines that will standardize communications between Regional Centralized Scheduling Units (RSCU) and representatives. With this change, the RSCU will request all representatives (or firms) to provide the dates that […]
Continue ReadingAre Independent Contractors Covered by Workers’ Comp?
Workers’ compensation is a type of insurance that provides no-fault coverage for injuries and illnesses suffered by employees while on the job or as a result of their work. In New Jersey and the majority of other states, employers are required to purchase workers’ compensation coverage for their employees. So what happens is you are […]
Continue ReadingCan You Still Receive Workers’ Comp If You Fail the Drug Test?
Workers’ compensation is a no-fault system of insurance that provides coverage for employees who have been injured or become ill on the job. In other words, if you are hurt or become ill because of your job (such as through an accident or exposure to toxic chemicals), you won’t have to prove that your employer […]
Continue Reading