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,…
Continue Reading New Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Judge Announced For Philadelphia Hearing Office

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…
Continue Reading PA Workers’ Compensation System Still Operating Remotely

It is a frequent call we receive.  “My check is late.”  Nobody wants to deal with a delay in getting their check, especially around the holidays.  Indeed, getting a check late means more than just difficulty in holiday shopping –…
Continue Reading PA Workers’ Compensation System Impacted by USPS Delays

As happens every year around this time, the Pennsylvania Bureau of Workers’ Compensation has released the Statewide Average Weekly Wage (SAWW) for the coming year.  For 2021, the SAWW is $1,130.00, an increase over the $1,081.00 of 2020.  The SAWW…
Continue Reading Maximum Workers’ Compensation Rate for Pennsylvania Raised to $1,130.00 for 2021

The Pennsylvania Bureau of Workers’ Compensation rarely announces the coming or going of Workers’ Compensation Judges (WCJs).  Recently, the Bureau veered from its normal procedure and announced the following release:
“The Workers’ Compensation Office of Adjudication is pleased to announce…
Continue Reading Two New PA Workers’ Compensation Judges Appointed to the Bench, Two Retiring

As we have discussed in the past, the assessment of unreasonable contest attorney fees is a rare finding in PA workers’ compensation.  This is when the workers’ comp insurance carrier is ordered to pay the fees of the injured worker’s…
Continue Reading Employer Engages in Unreasonable Contest When There is No Document Filed Accepting Work Injury

Back in 2017, we shared the exciting news (hey, we attorneys have a unique sense of excitement!) that the entire Impairment Rating Evaluation (IRE) section of the Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Act (Act) was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court of…
Continue Reading PA Commonwealth Court Answers Some IRE Questions, But Not Others