Oaklyn Workers’ Compensation Attorneys

If you or someone you know was hurt at work in Oaklyn, you might qualify for Workers’ Compensation. In New Jersey, this law lets eligible employees get medical care and disability benefits through their employer’s insurance.

This coverage applies no matter where you work, whether you’re driving a delivery van, brewing beer at Tonewood Brewing, helping customers at CVS, or fixing cars at a local garage. It’s important to act fast. You have just 14 days to tell your employer about your injury and two years to file a formal claim. Missing these deadlines can stop your case before you even get medical help.

At Petrillo & Goldberg, we guide Oaklyn workers through every step, from the first report to the final settlement. Call us at (856) 486-4343 for a free consultation.

The Local Industries Behind Most Oaklyn Workers’ Comp Claims

Oaklyn is a working-class town, and many people who get hurt on the job here work with their hands, drive, or work on their feet.

We handle a variety of workers’ comp cases, but some common cases we handle include the following:

• Auto body workers at the shops along the White Horse Pike, who face daily hazards from vehicle lifts, impact wrenches, and falling tires;
• Pharmacists, technicians, and retail staff at the Oaklyn CVS, who deal with repetitive lifting, slip-and-fall floors, and long shifts on their feet;
• Target team members at Audubon Crossings, who get hurt on stockroom ladders, pallet jacks, and slick break room floors;
• Brewers, bartenders, and hosts at Tonewood Brewing, who work around wet floors, heavy kegs, and elevated grain platforms;
• Delivery and route drivers serving Newton Lake Park, the Borough Hall plaza, and other Oaklyn businesses, who face traffic, weather, and lifting injuries on every shift;
• Restaurant staff and food service drivers running takeout from eateries near the Woodlynne/Collingswood area circle who deal with kitchen burns, slip hazards, and crashes on the road;
• Postal workers and parcel carriers from USPS, FedEx, UPS, and Amazon, who suffer dog bites, vehicle collisions, and lifting injuries on daily routes;
• Tow truck drivers and roadside crews dispatched along Route 30, Crescent Boulevard, and the connector ramps near I-676 and I-76, who work alongside live traffic in every weather condition; and
• Construction crews and contractors handling renovations throughout the borough, who face falls, struck-by hazards, and equipment injuries on active job sites.

Injuries can happen anywhere, but jobs with higher risks are more likely to result in them. In 2023, private employers in New Jersey reported 66,800 nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This shows how common work injuries are.

Common Crash Locations and Collision Types in and Around Oaklyn

If you drive for work, the road is your workplace. Oaklyn is at the crossroads of busy South Jersey roads, which makes delivery routes dangerous. If you get into a crash while working, workers’ compensation usually covers you, even if the accident happens far from your employer’s office.

Frequent crash zones our Oaklyn clients describe include the following:

• I-676 and I-76 connectors heading toward the Walt Whitman Bridge, where merging traffic and short ramps cause heavy rear-end collisions; 
• The bridge itself, where lane changes and toll plaza queues produce chain-reaction wrecks; 
• Crescent Boulevard (Route 130) through Brooklawn and Pennsauken; 
• Route 30 / White Horse Pike through downtown Oaklyn; and 
• Feeder streets like Newton Avenue and West Clinton Avenue.

Common collision types include the following:

• Rear-end crashes around the I-676 ramps; 
• Wrong-way collisions during delivery runs;
• Failure-to-yield wrecks at four-way stops; 
• Blind-spot sideswipes when a tractor-trailer merges into a passenger vehicle on the bridge approach; 
• Parking-lot backovers at retail centers; and 
• T-bone collisions where signals are obscured. 

Whatever happened to you, document the scene the same way you would in any car wreck and notify your employer the moment you can.

What to Do at the Hospital After a Work-Related Crash

Even if you feel okay after a work-related crash, you should get checked by a doctor the same day. Sometimes adrenaline hides serious injuries, and waiting can hurt your claim.

Call 911 the moment it is safe to do so, since the responding officer will start a New Jersey Police Crash Investigation Report that becomes foundational evidence in both your comp claim and any later personal injury case. Accept the ambulance if EMS recommends it, because your health insurance pays first, and the bill is later reimbursed through workers’ compensation if the injury is found to be work-related. Notify your supervisor in writing the same day with the time, location, witnesses, and a list of body parts that hurt. Ask the hospital to document every complaint, including dizziness, neck stiffness, headaches, and tingling, since soft-tissue and head injuries often look minor on the day of the accident.

Injuries that show up later are common, especially for workers who feel fine right after an accident. Signs of concussion, herniated discs, or shoulder injuries can take days to appear. In 2023, transportation and material moving jobs had the most fatal workplace injuries in New Jersey, with 19 deaths reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Skipping the emergency room can seriously hurt your case, especially if you have a broken bone, head injury, deep cut, or lost consciousness. After you are stable, call our office at (856) 486-4343 before talking to any insurance adjuster.

The New Jersey Workers’ Compensation Process Explained

Once you report the accident and begin treatment, the comp process moves quickly. New Jersey is an “employer-directed” state, meaning your employer or its insurance carrier gets to choose your authorized treating physician under N.J.S.A. 34:15-15. The doctor your employer selects also writes the report that drives your benefits, which shapes the entire claim.

A typical claim runs through a predictable sequence: 

• Written notice to the employer within 14 days;
• First report of injury filed with the insurance carrier, which assigns an authorized treating physician; 
• Temporary disability benefits beginning after seven days of lost time, paid at 70% of your average weekly wage up to the annual maximum; 
• Ongoing treatment until you reach maximum medical improvement; 
• A permanent disability evaluation by both sides’ physicians, with awards calculated under the schedule at N.J.S.A. 34:15-12; 
• A formal claim petition filed within two years; and
• Finally settlement, trial, or dismissal before a New Jersey Workers’ Compensation Judge.

The maximum weekly workers’ compensation benefit in New Jersey rose to $1,199 in 2026, up from $1,159 the previous year, after the New Jersey Department of Labor announced new rates tied to the state’s $1,598.66 average weekly wage. Permanent total disability awards run for 450 weeks and can extend further if the worker remains unable to return to gainful employment. Death benefits are paid to dependents under N.J.S.A. 34:15-13 when a workplace accident is fatal.

How FMLA and the New Jersey Family Leave Act Protect Your Job

Workers’ compensation pays your medical bills and a portion of your lost wages, but it does not guarantee job security. Federal and state leave laws fill that gap. The federal Family and Medical Leave Act, 29 U.S.C. § 2601 et seq., offers eligible workers up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave per year for a serious health condition, including a workplace injury. The New Jersey Family Leave Act, N.J.S.A. 34:11B-1 et seq., adds 12 weeks of job-protected leave to care for a covered family member, and New Jersey Temporary Disability Insurance offers wage replacement when an injury falls outside workers’ comp. The Division on Civil Rights publishes a guide to the New Jersey Family Leave Act at njoag.gov, and the state’s Family Leave Insurance program is detailed at myleavebenefits.nj.gov.

Workers’ Compensation Versus a Personal Injury Lawsuit

One confusing aspect of workers’ comp cases is whether workers can sue third-party drivers. The short answer is yes. When someone other than your employer or co-worker caused the harm, you can pursue a personal injury claim alongside your comp case.

The two claims work very differently. Workers’ comp is “no-fault,” meaning you do not have to prove negligence, and you receive medical treatment and partial wage replacement regardless of who caused the accident, although you generally cannot sue your employer directly under N.J.S.A. 34:15-8. A personal injury claim is fault-based and allows recovery for full lost wages, full medical bills, and pain and suffering, none of which workers’ comp pays. Any third-party recovery is subject to a statutory lien from the comp carrier under N.J.S.A. 34:15-40, and the two-year personal injury statute of limitations under N.J.S.A. 2A:14-2 runs separately from the comp deadline.

Running both claims at the same time is often the right move. A delivery driver rear-ended by a distracted motorist on the Walt Whitman Bridge may have a comp claim against the employer’s carrier and a personal injury claim against the at-fault driver running in parallel. Nationwide, transportation incidents accounted for 38.2 percent of all occupational fatalities in 2024, according to the BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries.

Contact Petrillo & Goldberg to Protect Your Workers’ Comp Claim

Getting hurt at work is overwhelming, and dealing with an insurance carrier that is paid to minimize your benefits makes the process harder than it needs to be. Petrillo & Goldberg has the courtroom experience and local Camden County knowledge to push back against denials, get your medical care authorized, and pursue the maximum benefits you are owed under New Jersey law. Contact our Oaklyn-area workers’ compensation attorneys today at 856-486-4343 for a free, confidential consultation. Our principal office is in Pennsauken, New Jersey, and we serve clients throughout Camden County, including Oaklyn.

FAQs About Oaklyn Workers’ Compensation Claims