If you were injured at work in Middlesex County, New Jersey, you may be entitled to authorized medical treatment, temporary disability benefits while you are unable to work and compensation for a permanent injury.
The Law Offices of Michael S. Williams, LLC represents injured employees throughout Middlesex County and across New Jersey. Our Middlesex County office is conveniently located in New Brunswick at:
The Plaza Building
317 George Street, Suite 320
New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901
For nearly 20 years, attorney Michael S. Williams has represented injured New Jersey workers in claims involving medical treatment, temporary disability benefits, return-to-work disputes and permanent injuries.
Michael personally represents injured workers throughout the claims process. When court intervention is necessary, our firm handles matters in the New Brunswick Workers’ Compensation Court, where Middlesex County workers’ compensation cases are heard.
Learn more about our New Brunswick workers’ compensation representation.
After a Work Injury, You May Be Entitled To:
- Authorized medical treatment paid for by workers’ compensation
- Temporary disability benefits while a compensable injury prevents you from working
- Compensation for a permanent partial disability
- Permanent total disability benefits when a work injury prevents a return to gainful employment
- Dependency benefits following a fatal workplace injury
- Additional compensation through a third-party personal injury claim when someone other than the employer or a coworker caused the accident
Call 732-351-2800 for a free consultation with a Middlesex County workers’ compensation lawyer.
Meet with us at our New Brunswick office or schedule a telephone or virtual consultation.
A Middlesex County Workers’ Compensation Attorney With a New Brunswick Office
Hiring a workers’ compensation attorney should not mean being passed from one person to another without knowing who is responsible for your case.
Attorney Michael S. Williams personally represents injured workers and remains directly involved throughout the claim. Our office assists clients with medical-treatment disputes, temporary disability benefits, return-to-work issues, permanent disability evaluations, settlement negotiations and court proceedings.
Our New Brunswick office is conveniently located for injured workers from communities throughout Middlesex County, including New Brunswick, Edison, Woodbridge, Old Bridge, Piscataway, Carteret, East Brunswick, North Brunswick, South Brunswick, Sayreville, Perth Amboy, South Plainfield, Metuchen, Highland Park, Monroe and surrounding areas.
Why Injured Workers Choose Our Firm
Workers’ compensation insurance carriers control authorized medical treatment in New Jersey. Disputes can arise at any stage of a claim, even when the insurance carrier initially accepts the workplace accident.
A carrier may dispute:
- Whether the injury arose from employment
- The relationship between an additional injured body part and the workplace accident
- The need for an MRI or other diagnostic testing
- Authorization for treatment by a specialist
- Recommended physical therapy, injections or surgery
- The employee’s continued inability to work
- Whether an offered light-duty position complies with the authorized doctor’s restrictions
- Continued payment of temporary disability benefits
- Whether the authorized doctor discharged the employee from treatment prematurely
Our representation is not limited to obtaining compensation at the conclusion of a case. We also work to protect an injured employee’s right to appropriate medical treatment and wage-replacement benefits while the case is pending.
Our firm will:
- Seek authorization for necessary medical treatment
- Challenge denied or delayed workers’ compensation claims
- Pursue temporary disability benefits
- Review whether the temporary disability rate was calculated correctly
- Challenge the premature termination of medical treatment
- Address disputes concerning an employee’s ability to return to work
- File Motions for Medical and Temporary Benefits
- Pursue permanent partial and permanent total disability awards
- Handle conferences, hearings, negotiations and court appearances
- Investigate potential third-party personal injury claims
When an insurance carrier refuses to provide appropriate treatment or benefits, we are prepared to present the dispute to the Workers’ Compensation Court.
Workers’ Compensation Benefits Available After a Middlesex County Work Injury
New Jersey workers’ compensation provides several categories of benefits to employees who suffer compensable workplace injuries or occupational conditions.
Medical Treatment
The employer or its workers’ compensation insurance carrier is generally responsible for providing and paying for authorized medical treatment that is reasonably necessary to cure or relieve the effects of a compensable workplace injury.
Authorized treatment may include:
- Emergency medical care
- Evaluations by authorized doctors
- Diagnostic testing, including X-rays, MRIs and CT scans
- Physical therapy
- Chiropractic treatment
- Pain-management treatment
- Injections
- Surgery
- Prescription medication
- Medical equipment
- Transportation to authorized appointments when appropriate
- Other medically necessary authorized treatment
In New Jersey, the employer or its workers’ compensation insurance carrier generally has the right to select the authorized treating providers.
That right does not give the carrier unlimited authority to deny necessary care. When appropriate treatment is refused, delayed or prematurely terminated, an injured worker may be able to seek relief through the Workers’ Compensation Court.
Learn more in our article: Can You Choose Your Own Doctor in a New Jersey Workers’ Compensation Case?
Temporary Disability Benefits
When a compensable workplace injury prevents an employee from working, temporary disability benefits are generally calculated at 70% of the employee’s average weekly wage, subject to New Jersey’s statutory minimum and maximum rates.
Disputes may arise when:
- The insurance carrier refuses to begin payments
- The employee’s average weekly wage is calculated incorrectly
- Payments are delayed or missed
- Benefits are stopped while the employee remains unable to work
- An authorized doctor releases the employee prematurely
- The employer offers work that exceeds the medical restrictions
- The employee returns for fewer hours or reduced wages
The calculation may be more complicated when an injured employee worked multiple jobs, regularly earned overtime, received irregular wages or returned to work at reduced earnings.
We review the medical and wage evidence to determine whether temporary disability benefits were properly calculated, paid and terminated.
Permanent Partial Disability
An employee who suffers a permanent loss of function from a work-related injury may be entitled to a permanent partial disability award.
The value of a permanent partial disability claim depends upon factors that include:
- The body part involved
- The nature and extent of the permanent impairment
- The medical evidence
- The employee’s continuing symptoms and limitations
- The applicable statutory rate
- The employee’s wages at the time of the accident
Permanent disability is ordinarily evaluated after authorized treatment concludes and the employee reaches maximum medical improvement.
Permanent Total Disability
When a workplace injury leaves an employee permanently unable to return to gainful employment, the employee may potentially qualify for permanent total disability benefits.
Permanent total disability claims require a careful review of the employee’s medical condition, functional limitations, age, education, employment history, transferable skills and ability to perform available work.
Benefits are initially awarded for a period of 450 weeks. Payments may continue beyond the initial 450 weeks when the employee remains totally disabled and continues to satisfy the requirements of New Jersey law.
Dependency and Death Benefits
When a compensable workplace injury or occupational condition results in death, qualifying dependents may be entitled to dependency benefits and certain related expenses.
Eligibility and the amount of benefits depend upon the relationship between the deceased worker and the claimed dependents, the degree of financial dependency and the circumstances of the claim.
What if Workers’ Compensation Refuses Medical Treatment?
An insurance carrier may accept a workplace accident but later refuse to authorize necessary treatment.
Common disputes involve:
- An MRI, CT scan or other diagnostic study
- Evaluation by an orthopedic surgeon, neurologist or other specialist
- Physical therapy
- Pain-management treatment
- Injections
- Surgery
- Prescription medication
- Treatment for an additional injured body part
- A second medical opinion
- Additional treatment after an authorized doctor attempts to discharge the employee
The carrier may claim that the requested treatment is unnecessary, unrelated to the workplace accident or unlikely to improve the employee’s condition. It may also rely upon an examination performed by another physician who concludes that no additional treatment is required.
An injured employee does not necessarily have to accept the insurance carrier’s decision as final.
When supported by appropriate medical evidence, we can file a Motion for Medical and Temporary Benefits asking a Judge of Compensation to address the dispute.
Learn more in our article: What Can You Do When Workers’ Compensation Refuses Treatment?
What if a Workers’ Compensation Doctor Sends You Back to Work Too Soon?
A return-to-work release can affect both an employee’s physical recovery and the right to temporary disability benefits.
An authorized doctor may release an injured employee to full duty or impose light-duty restrictions. Problems can develop when:
- The doctor does not understand the employee’s actual job duties
- The restrictions do not adequately address the employee’s physical limitations
- The employer has no work available within the restrictions
- The proposed light-duty position exceeds the medical restrictions
- The employee attempts to return but cannot physically continue
- Recommended testing or treatment remains incomplete
- The doctor fails to evaluate all injured body parts
An employee should not simply ignore the release or remain home without notifying the employer and obtaining legal advice. Doing so may create additional problems involving temporary disability benefits and the employment relationship.
Instead, the employee should promptly document the job requirements, continuing symptoms, written restrictions, proposed light-duty assignment and communications with the employer.
Depending upon the circumstances, we can seek clarification of the restrictions, additional medical treatment, another evaluation or relief through the Workers’ Compensation Court.
Read our detailed article: What Happens if a Workers’ Compensation Doctor Sends You Back to Work Too Soon?
What Is a Motion for Medical and Temporary Benefits?
When an insurance carrier denies necessary medical treatment or temporary disability benefits, an injured employee may be able to file a Motion for Medical and Temporary Benefits with the New Jersey Division of Workers’ Compensation.
The motion can ask a Judge of Compensation to order the employer or its insurance carrier to provide:
- Authorized medical treatment
- Diagnostic testing
- Evaluation by an appropriate specialist
- Temporary disability benefits
- Reinstatement of stopped benefits
- Payment of unpaid temporary disability benefits
The motion must be supported by appropriate medical and factual evidence.
Depending upon the dispute, the supporting evidence may include authorized treatment records, diagnostic studies, treatment recommendations, work-status notes, wage records, reports from another examining physician and a certification from the injured employee.
The employer and insurance carrier may respond with their own medical and factual evidence.
Filing a motion does not guarantee that the requested treatment or benefits will be ordered. It provides a procedure for asking the Workers’ Compensation Court to decide the dispute instead of allowing the insurance carrier’s decision to remain unchallenged.
Recent Workers’ Compensation Results for Injured New Jersey Workers
The Law Offices of Michael S. Williams, LLC has obtained substantial workers’ compensation awards for injured employees, including:
$370,580 Initial Permanent Total Disability Award
Permanent total disability benefits for a construction worker who suffered catastrophic spinal and orthopedic injuries after falling approximately 50 feet while installing siding.
The award includes $340,200 in permanent total disability benefits for the initial 450 weeks and $30,380 in backpay of temporary disability benefits. The injured worker will continue receiving workers’ compensation benefits for the remainder of his life, provided he remains totally disabled and unable to return to work.
$347,850 Initial Permanent Total Disability Award
Permanent total disability benefits obtained for a delivery driver who suffered a serious lower-back injury and was unable to return to gainful employment. The initial 450 weeks of benefits totaled $347,850, with benefits potentially continuing thereafter for as long as the worker remains totally disabled under New Jersey law.
$303,000 Workers’ Compensation Award
Eye and psychological injuries suffered by a construction worker.
$184,000 Workers’ Compensation Award
Bilateral shoulder injuries suffered in a workplace slip and fall.
$164,000 Workers’ Compensation Award
Back injury suffered by an automobile mechanic.
$136,000 Workers’ Compensation Award
Back injury suffered by a liquor-store employee.
$123,000 Workers’ Compensation Award
Back and shoulder injuries in a workers’ compensation reopener.
$103,000 Workers’ Compensation Award
Back injury suffered while moving a desk.
$103,000 Workers’ Compensation Award
Back injury involving air-conditioning units.
Every case is different, and prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Common Workplace Accidents and Injuries We Handle
Middlesex County contains hospitals, universities, construction projects, warehouses, distribution centers, manufacturing facilities, restaurants, retail businesses, offices and transportation facilities. Employees can suffer serious injuries in virtually every type of workplace.
Our Middlesex County workers’ compensation practice includes claims involving:
- Construction accidents
- Healthcare-worker injuries
- Hospital and medical-facility injuries
- University and school-employee injuries
- Warehouse and distribution-center accidents
- Manufacturing injuries
- Retail and restaurant accidents
- Motor-vehicle accidents occurring during employment
- Falls at work
- Lifting injuries
- Repetitive-stress and overuse injuries
- Occupational exposures and illnesses
- Back and spinal injuries
- Herniated and bulging discs
- Neck injuries
- Shoulder injuries
- Knee injuries
- Hip injuries
- Hand and wrist injuries
- Foot and ankle injuries
- Eye injuries
- Burns and scarring
- Concussions and traumatic brain injuries
- Psychological and neuropsychological injuries
- Aggravation of pre-existing medical conditions
A compensable injury does not always result from one sudden accident. Workers’ compensation claims can also involve injuries or medical conditions that develop over time because of repetitive work activities or occupational exposure.
Having a pre-existing injury or medical condition does not automatically prevent an employee from receiving workers’ compensation benefits when employment materially aggravates or accelerates that condition.
What Should You Do After a Work Injury in Middlesex County?
Taking appropriate steps after a workplace injury can help protect your health and workers’ compensation claim.
Report the Injury
Notify your employer or supervisor about the accident or work-related condition as soon as possible.
Identify every injured body part. Do not assume that a supervisor, coworker or medical provider will report the accident for you.
Request Authorized Medical Treatment
If you need treatment, ask your employer where you should obtain authorized workers’ compensation medical care. Ordinarily the employer will report the claim to the workers’ comp insurance carrier.
Seek immediate emergency treatment when necessary. Tell every medical provider that the injury occurred at work.
Document What Happened
Preserve information concerning:
- How the accident happened
- When and where it occurred
- The names of witnesses
- The equipment or conditions involved
- Your injuries and symptoms
- Communications with your employer
- Medical appointments
- Written work restrictions
- Time missed from work
- Temporary disability payments
Attend Authorized Medical Appointments
Attend authorized medical appointments and follow reasonable treatment recommendations.
Missed appointments, unexplained gaps in treatment or failing to follow medical instructions may become issues in a disputed claim.
Contact a Workers’ Compensation Attorney Promptly
An injured employee should not wait until the entire claim is denied before speaking with an attorney.
Problems frequently arise while a claim is otherwise being accepted. The carrier may authorize initial treatment but later dispute an MRI, specialist evaluation, injection, surgery, additional injured body part or continued temporary disability benefits.
Consulting an attorney at the beginning of the claim can help ensure that the accident and all injuries are properly documented, treatment requests are monitored, wage benefits are calculated correctly and disputes are addressed promptly.
Even when the employer and insurance carrier initially appear cooperative, their interests are not the same as those of the injured employee.
Don’t wait for something to go wrong. You should have an attorney protecting your rights throughout the workers’ compensation process.
Third-Party Claims After a Workplace Accident
Workers’ compensation generally provides authorized medical treatment, temporary disability benefits and compensation for permanent disability. It does not ordinarily provide compensation for pain and suffering.
When someone other than the employer or a coworker negligently causes a workplace accident, the injured employee may also have a separate third-party personal injury claim.
Examples include workplace accidents caused by:
- Negligent drivers
- Contractors or subcontractors
- Property owners
- Maintenance companies
- Manufacturers of defective products or equipment
- Other negligent third parties
A third-party personal injury claim may provide compensation for pain and suffering and other damages that are not available through workers’ compensation.
Our firm handles both workers’ compensation and personal injury claims, allowing us to investigate all potential sources of compensation arising from a workplace accident.
The New Brunswick Workers’ Compensation Court
Workers’ compensation cases involving Middlesex County are generally heard at:
New Brunswick Workers’ Compensation Court
550 Jersey Avenue
New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901
The court hears disputes involving medical treatment, temporary disability benefits, compensability, permanent disability and other issues arising under New Jersey’s workers’ compensation law.
The courthouse is only a few blocks from our New Brunswick law office at The Plaza Building, 317 George Street, Suite 320.
Attorney Michael S. Williams represents injured employees in the New Brunswick Workers’ Compensation Court and workers’ compensation courts throughout New Jersey.
Serving Injured Workers Throughout Middlesex County
The Law Offices of Michael S. Williams, LLC represents injured workers throughout Middlesex County.
New Brunswick Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
With an office in downtown New Brunswick, we represent employees seeking medical treatment, temporary disability benefits and compensation for permanent workplace injuries.
Learn more about our New Brunswick Workers’ Compensation Lawyer page.
Edison Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
We represent Edison employees injured in construction, healthcare, retail, manufacturing, warehouse, transportation and other workplace accidents.
Learn more about our Edison Workers’ Compensation Lawyer page.
Old Bridge Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
Our firm assists Old Bridge employees with workplace injuries, repetitive-work conditions, treatment disputes and return-to-work issues.
Learn more about our Old Bridge Workers’ Compensation Lawyer page.
Woodbridge Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
We represent Woodbridge employees in claims involving denied medical treatment, temporary disability benefits, permanent injuries and occupational conditions.
Learn more about our Woodbridge Workers’ Compensation Lawyer page.
Other Middlesex County Communities
Our New Brunswick office also represents injured workers from Piscataway, Carteret, East Brunswick, North Brunswick, South Brunswick, Perth Amboy, Sayreville, South Amboy, South Plainfield, Metuchen, Highland Park, Monroe and surrounding communities.
Frequently Asked Questions About Middlesex County Workers’ Compensation
Do I Have to Prove That My Employer Was Negligent?
No. New Jersey workers’ compensation is generally a no-fault system.
An injured employee ordinarily does not have to prove that the employer negligently caused the accident to obtain workers’ compensation benefits. The employee must establish that the injury arose out of and occurred in the course of employment.
Can I Choose My Own Workers’ Compensation Doctor?
Generally, the employer or its workers’ compensation insurance carrier has the right to select the authorized medical providers.
That does not mean an injured employee has no options when treatment is inadequate or necessary care is denied. Depending upon the evidence, an attorney may seek additional authorized treatment or court intervention.
What if the Insurance Carrier Refuses Treatment?
A denial by the insurance carrier does not necessarily end the issue.
When supported by appropriate medical evidence, we can seek treatment through a Motion for Medical and Temporary Benefits.
What if the Doctor Sends Me Back to Work Too Soon?
Do not simply ignore the release or remain home without obtaining legal advice.
Document your job duties, symptoms, written restrictions and communications with your employer. An attorney can evaluate whether additional treatment, different restrictions, continued temporary disability benefits or court intervention should be pursued.
What if My Employer Cannot Provide Light-Duty Work?
If an authorized doctor releases you with restrictions but the employer cannot provide suitable work within those restrictions, you likely will remain eligible for temporary disability benefits, depending upon the medical evidence and circumstances.
Document the employer’s response and contact an attorney promptly.
How Much Are Temporary Disability Benefits?
Temporary disability benefits are generally calculated at 70% of the injured employee’s average weekly wage, subject to the statutory minimum and maximum rates in effect for the year of the accident.
The calculation may become more complicated when the employee worked multiple jobs, regularly received overtime, had irregular earnings or returned to reduced hours.
Can My Employer Fire Me for Filing a Workers’ Compensation Claim?
New Jersey law prohibits an employer from discharging or discriminating against an employee because the employee claimed or attempted to claim workers’ compensation benefits.
Workers’ compensation does not automatically guarantee continued employment in every circumstance. Employment issues should be evaluated based upon the particular facts and any other applicable state or federal protections.
How Long Do I Have to File a Workers’ Compensation Claim?
A formal New Jersey workers’ compensation Claim Petition generally must be filed within two years of the workplace accident or the last payment of compensation, whichever is later.
Employer-authorized medical treatment may qualify as a payment of compensation. Different rules may apply to occupational disease claims.
Because filing deadlines depend upon the facts of the claim, injured employees should not wait until the limitations period is about to expire before obtaining legal advice.
Can I Reopen a Workers’ Compensation Case?
A case resolved through an Order Approving Settlement or judgment may generally be reopened within two years of the last payment of compensation when the work-related condition materially worsens.
A successful reopener may result in additional authorized treatment, temporary disability benefits or compensation for increased permanent disability.
Different rules apply to claims resolved through a full and final settlement under N.J.S.A. 34:15-20.
How Much Does a Workers’ Compensation Attorney Cost?
There is no upfront attorney’s fee.
Attorney fees in a New Jersey workers’ compensation case are determined and approved by a Judge of Compensation in accordance with New Jersey law.
Speak With a Middlesex County Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
If you were injured at work in Middlesex County, the Law Offices of Michael S. Williams, LLC can evaluate your claim and explain the benefits that may be available.
Attorney Michael S. Williams has represented injured New Jersey workers for nearly 20 years. He personally represents clients in claims involving:
- Denied or delayed medical treatment
- Unpaid or stopped temporary disability benefits
- Premature return-to-work releases
- Inadequate light-duty restrictions
- Permanent partial disability
- Permanent total disability
- Motions for Medical and Temporary Benefits
- Third-party personal injury claims
Our Middlesex County office is located at:
The Plaza Building
317 George Street, Suite 320
New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901
Call 732-351-2800 for a free consultation.
Telephone, virtual and in-office consultations are available. There is no upfront attorney’s fee.
Every case is different, and prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
