Recently, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that a traveling salesperson was eligible for workers compensation after he was injured in a car crash following a work-sponsored happy hour in 2015. The injured salesman works for the corporate apparel company Cintas Corporation. According to Law360, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justices ruled that that the state’s “traveling employee doctrine” applied to the situation. Even though the event was a work-sponsored happy hour and voluntary, the Cintas employee still on the job at the event unless Cintas could prove that he wasn’t. The Pennsylvania ..read more

O’Connor Law has been practicing in workers’ compensation since the founding of our firm in 1989. For more than three decades, our firm has earned a successful record of assisting clients in receiving their rightful benefits. If you are filing for workers’ compensation benefits or looking to hire an attorney, please contact O’Connor Law at 800-518-4LAW. Advise Clients to Receive Medical Attention When filing a claim, an official medical examination or documents will be required. If medical information is incorrect or insufficient, a person’s claim may be denied. Attorneys can also recommend cl ..read more

Throughout the past year and continuing into 2021, mailing services have been severely affected by the global pandemic. As a result, mail and packages have been delivered at a very slow pace. Notably, individuals who receive Workers’ Compensation have also been affected by the delay in deliveries. Many clients have reported not receiving their compensation checks or files on time, which can cause numerous complications with their health, expenses, or daily living. Since the spring of 2020, online ordering has drastically increased as people began to purchase more items online than in stores. I ..read more

One of the busiest times of the year for manufacturers and warehouse workers is around the holidays. In addition to the pandemic, employees have been working around the clock to keep up with online shopping and shipment orders. This year, the United States Postal Service (USPS) estimates that there will be about 750 million packages that will be delivered for the holiday season. They also estimate that there is a 12 percent increase in shipping totals in 2020 compared to the 670 million packages that were delivered last year. As a result, warehouse and industry workers have been labeled as the ..read more

A common theme of many states’ Workers’ Compensation laws is change.  It is very common for states to update their laws, policies, and regulations for Workers’ Compensation in order to better protect that state’s workers. Recently, two states have implemented new laws and regulations regarding Workers’ Compensation. New Jersey and California have made new additions to their laws.  The decision appears to be heavily influenced by the global pandemic, as thousands of employees may now be able to collect Workers’ Compensation benefits if they have tested positive for COVID-19. New Jerse ..read more

On October 3, 2020, Pennsylvania established a new overtime rule that will allow more workers to be eligible for overtime wages. The Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry’s Secretary, Jerry Oleksiak, stated in a press release that “the modernized regulation will expand eligibility for overtime to 143,000 people and strengthen overtime protections for up to 251,000 or more. This final rule ensures that employees who work overtime are fairly and fully compensated for their labor in accordance with the original intent of the Pennsylvania Minimum Wage Act.” Secretary Oleksiak also said tha ..read more

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, many employees have switched from working at their offices to their homes. People have been concerned about the future of their company, other workers, and their safety. For many decades, Workers’ Compensation has provided medical benefits and wage reimbursements for employees who were injured on the job. The Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Act extends their eligibility to people who were injured while working remotely at home. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were approximately 2.8 million non-fatal injuries and illnesses from th ..read more

An organization to protect safe and healthy working conditions for employees in the United States, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), has failed its mission in a meat packaging plant in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Three workers have filed a lawsuit in a federal court against the agency claiming that they have caused the plant to become dangerous and potentially fatal to all the employees. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is an agency of the United States Department of Labor. The organization was created under the Occupational Safety and Health Act by ..read more

Despite thriving online sales, Amazon.com Inc. has not had a smooth adjustment to COVID-19 and its effects. As its employees struggle to remain healthy and safe, Amazon has been criticized by multiple organizations.  A great example of this points to a local warehouse, as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has begun conducting an investigation into the handling of workers’ conditions at an Amazon, Inc. facility near Hazleton, Pennsylvania. The Hazleton warehouse, which is often referred to as AVP1, has made national news for its willingness to raise concerns with wor ..read more

During this time of crisis, it’s extremely important to understand that COVID-19, if contracted during your course of work, qualifies as a Workers’ Compensation illness.  In other words, if you end up getting the disease, because of a coworker, client, or anyone else you come in contact with during the course of your work day, you may be eligible to receive Workers’ Compensation benefits because of it.  As the information regarding the disease, and how it relates to Workers’ Compensation benefits grows, the demand will too. Workers’ Compensation is one of our state’s greatest achieve ..read more