Petrillo & Goldberg Law

Fast-food restaurant employees at high risk for on-the-job injuries

By Petrillo & Goldberg / January 31, 2020 / Comments Off on Fast-food restaurant employees at high risk for on-the-job injuries

About 12.19 million people work in the restaurant industry in the United States as of 2018. Twenty-eight percent, or 3.7 million, work in fast-food establishments. Many of these workers are subject to on-the-job injuries and accidents. The injuries can result in workers’ compensation claims and benefits for injured workers. How dangerous is fast-food restaurant work?…

Impact of robots on Amazon’s injury rate

By Petrillo & Goldberg / January 24, 2020 / Comments Off on Impact of robots on Amazon’s injury rate

Amazon is a leader in introducing robots into the workplace. The company claims robots speed up production and make human jobs easier and safer. However, interviews and other records suggest that Amazon employees are suffering more injuries and facilities in workplaces with robots. Reveal gathered internal injury records from 23 of Amazon’s 110 fulfillment centers…

Fatal injuries to workers at construction sites

By Petrillo & Goldberg / January 7, 2020 / Comments Off on Fatal injuries to workers at construction sites

Two recent deaths at construction sites in New Jersey serve as a reminder of the dangers faced by construction workers. Eric Papenfuhs was killed at the construction site of the American Dream megamall in East Rutherford. Another worker died in Woodbridge Township as a result of electrocution. Papenfuhs was operating a Bobcat when he collided…

Employee injured at company family fun day denied benefits

By Petrillo & Goldberg / January 3, 2020 / Comments Off on Employee injured at company family fun day denied benefits

Companies hold events outside regular employment hours and invite employees to participate. If an employee is injured at one of these events, is the injury covered by workers’ compensation? Kim Goulding worked as a cook at a nonprofit organization that provides vocational training and clinical services to individuals with developmental issues. On a Saturday, the…

Injured employee denied workers’ compensation

By Petrillo & Goldberg / November 27, 2019 / Comments Off on Injured employee denied workers’ compensation

If an employee is injured while walking to and from the lot, is the injury covered by workers’ compensation? Emily Manuel worked as a nurse at a New Jersey medical center. The medical center rented parking spaces in a lot across the street from the center. It deducted a fee from the pay of employees…

Employer’s liability for injuries during treatment for a work injury

By Petrillo & Goldberg / November 26, 2019 / Comments Off on Employer’s liability for injuries during treatment for a work injury

What happens when an employee being treated for a work injury claims to suffer another injury during the treatment? The Appellate Division of the Superior Court of New Jersey recently considered this issue. Priscilla Robinson, a flight attendant, fractured her wrist at work. Robinson underwent physical therapy for her injury. She contended that she tore…

Most Common Work-Related Illnesses

By Petrillo & Goldberg / November 22, 2019 / Comments Off on Most Common Work-Related Illnesses

Every day workers are hurt at their places of employment. Even more workers are exposed to dangerous substances that cause potentially lifelong diseases and acute illnesses. Here are some of the most common occupational illnesses that generate workers’ compensation claims: Hearing loss — This is the most common occupational disease thanks to dangerous levels of…

Liability of employee for an on-the-job prank that injures a co-worker

By Petrillo & Goldberg / October 24, 2019 / Comments Off on Liability of employee for an on-the-job prank that injures a co-worker

Some horseplay can be expected at work. Usually, pranks are harmless, but what are the consequences if an employee suffers an injury? A firefighter for the City of Linden was on duty at a firehouse. As he sat down on a toilet in the men’s restroom, he felt an explosion beneath him. Remnants of an…

Injuries to workers on construction sites

By Petrillo & Goldberg / October 15, 2019 / Comments Off on Injuries to workers on construction sites

Construction workers are at risk of injury each day they report to a jobsite. Recently a crane operator was injured in South Philadelphia in August when the machine he was operating came into contact with a power line. The worker suffered burn injuries. Construction workers can fall from structures like roofs and scaffolds. They operate…

Employer’s idiopathic defense against workers’ compensation claim in New Jersey

By Petrillo & Goldberg / October 8, 2019 / Comments Off on Employer’s idiopathic defense against workers’ compensation claim in New Jersey

An employer may try to defeat a workers’ compensation claim on the ground that the injury was idiopathic. The theory behind the defense is that the job did not cause the injury because the same injury would have resulted if the employee had not been on the job. A recent decision of the Appellate Division…