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ph: 610-667-7511
fax: 610-667-3440
555 City Line Avenue
Suite 500
Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004
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ph: 215-238-1130
fax: 215-238-1132
1800 JFK Boulevard, Suite 300
Philadelphia, PA 19103
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New Jersey Office:

ph: 856-667-7515
fax: 856-667-8666
385 Kings Highway North
Suite 210
Cherry Hill, NJ 08034
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New York Office:

ph: 800-690-9315
11 Broadway
Suite 615
New York, NY 10004
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Upstate New York Office:

ph: 800-690-9315
397 route 281
P.O. Box 430
Tully, NY 13159-0430
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OSHA cites two PA companies for violations

Posted on January 12th, 2011 No Comments

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration recently announced that they are fining two western Pennsylvania companies for safety violations resulting in two fatalities and worker injuries.  OSHA began investigating Northeast Energy Management Inc. and Huntley & Huntley Inc. in July 2010.

Investigations into the two companies began after two Northeast workers were killed in an explosion.  Huntley & Huntley had Northeast contracted to repair the barrel tank that exploded and was also held responsible for the accident.  ”These companies did not ensure that proper welding procedures were followed, resulting in this tragic loss of life,” stated OSHA area director Robert Szymanski.

Northeast Energy was fined $159,390 in total for two willful workplace safety violations and some serious violations.  Huntley & Huntley was issued fines of $70,000.

Contact the Philadelphia workers’ compensation attorneys of Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C. at 215-238-1130 if you or someone you love has been injured in the workplace due to employer negligence.

Gov. Rendell signs construction classification act

Posted on October 21st, 2010 No Comments

On October 13th, Governor Rendell signed into law the Pennsylvania Construction Workplace Misclassification Act in order to make sure workers are not misclassified in the construction industry.  The act creates an established criteria to classify workers in the construction industry and penalties for employers who incorrectly classify their employees.  The act amends both the Pennsylvania Unemployment Compensation Law and the Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Act.

The new law defines construction as the “erection, reconstruction, demolition, alteration, modification, custom fabrication, building, assembling, site preparation and repair work done on any real property or premises under contract, whether or not the work is for a public body and paid for from public funds”.

If you or someone you know is seeking workers’ compensation, contact the Philadelphia workers’ compensation attorneys of Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C. at 610-667-7511 to learn more about your rights.

PA contractor receives sentence for safety lapses

Posted on July 9th, 2010 No Comments

A federal court recently sentenced roofing contractor Christopher Franc to three years probation and six months house arrest after willfully committing safety violations and endangering his workers.  He was also fined $539,000 by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Last year, one of Franc’s roofers, 29-year old Carl Beck, died when he fell from a steep roof while not using any safety gear.  Investigators found that Franc did not provide fall-protection equipment to employees and failed to appropriately train new employees.

Head of OSHA Dr. David Michaels believes that existing laws are not tough enough on willfully negligent employers who cause injuries in their employees, like Franc.  Now, Michaels is promoting the Protecting America’s Workers Act, or PAWA, that would sentence negligent employers to up to twenty years in prison.  PAWA would also increase fines against willful violators and strengthen whistleblower protections.

How do insurance companies investigate workers’ compensation claims?

Posted on May 26th, 2010 No Comments

Injured workers may be able to receive workers’ compensation for many work-related injuries. However, they typically cannot receive benefits for injuries incurred while employees are on breaks, such as lunch breaks.

According to Pennsylvania workers’ compensation law, employees typically cannot receive workers’ compensation benefits for any personal time taken during the work day.

If you or anyone you know has questions about workers’ compensation benefits, contact the Philadelphia workers’ compensation attorneys of Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C., at 215-238-1130.

When can employers offer light-duty jobs?

Posted on May 26th, 2010 No Comments

When employees are injured on the job and receive workers’ compensation benefits, they may not be able to return to their job. In some cases, they may no longer have the physical capability to perform their job ever again.

When this occurs, employers may offer their employees a light-duty job. If injured employees refuse to take these jobs, then employers may be able to appeal to a workers’ compensation judge to modify the employee’s workers’ compensation benefits.

If you or anyone you know has questions about your workers’ compensation benefits, contact the Philadelphia workers’ compensation benefits of Lowenthal & Abrams at 215-238-1130.

Are all workplace injuries covered under workers’ compensation laws?

Posted on May 7th, 2010 No Comments

Workers’ compensation provisions cover employees’ injuries in most cases. However, employees are typically not covered if they purposely inflict injuries on themselves.

Other types of cases in which employees typically do not receive workers’ compensation benefits  include the following: Employees act in a reckless manner in the workplace, or employees sustain workplace injuries while intoxicated or under the influence of illegal drugs.

If you or anyone you know has questions about workers’ compensation benefits, contact the Philadelphia workers’ compensation lawyers of Lowenthal & Abrams at 215-238-1130.

Pennsylvania woman charged with workers’ compensation fraud

Posted on May 7th, 2010 No Comments

A Pennsylvania woman was charged with insurance fraud in a workers’ compensation case. According to court reports, the woman apparently was receiving workers’ compensation payments and working as a stripper at the same time.

The woman apparently received more than $22,000 in disability benefits as a  result of a restaurant accident. However, she allegedly worked as a stripped while still receiving the payments.

If you or anyone you know has questions about your workers’ compensation benefits, contact the Philadelphia workers’ compensation attorneys of Lowenthal & Abrams at 215-238-1130.

Does the workers’ compensation law cover nonprofits?

Posted on April 30th, 2010 No Comments

Many nonprofit organizations use a number volunteers to fulfill their mission. While the volunteers do work for the organization, they may not be covered under workers’ compensation law.

If individuals are volunteering for a non-profit, they should determine whether or not their work-related injuries will be covered. In some cases, the injuries will be covered automatically under workers’ compensation law. In other cases, the nonprofit will choose to cover the injuries.

If you or anyone you know has questions about workers’ compensation benefits, contact the Philadelphia workers’ compensation lawyers of Lowenthal & Abrams at 215-238-1130.

Does the Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Act cover retraining?

Posted on April 29th, 2010 No Comments

When individuals are injured on the job, they sometimes need to be retrained when they return to their job. Retraining is usually required when an injured employees are no longer able to do their former job and are placed in another position.

While the Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Act requires the the employer to compensate employees for a portion of their lost wages, it does not require the employer to pay for retraining. This retraining may entail costs and expenses that employer may not necessarily cover. For this reason, employees should consult with an attorney in these cases.

If you or anyone you know has been injured on the job, contact the Philadelphia workers’ compensation attorneys of Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C., at 800-876-LAWYER.

Work-related injuries that occur outside the workplace

Posted on April 29th, 2010 No Comments

While workers’ compensation almost always covers workplace injuries, it may not cover injuries that occur outside of the workplace. The limits of coverage often depend on the nature of the injury.

If the injury was related to to an action that fell under the scope of the employee’s job responsibilities, then that injury likely would be covered. This extension even may apply to employees who are traveling for a job and are injured during transportation.

If you are unsure whether your injury is covered under workers’ compensation, contact the Philadelphia workers’ compensation attorneys of Lowenthal & Abrams at 215-238-1130.

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