A. Judd Woytek

We established that the employer was never served with the notice of assignment of the claim petition to a judge. While the claimant’s attorney had properly served the claim petition itself on the employer, we correctly argued that it is the notice of assignment that triggers the employer’s obligation to file an answer within 20 days. We were able to prove that the employer’s address on the notice of assignment had the wrong zip code and that the employer was never served. Therefore, the judge found that the employer had a reasonable excuse for its late answer to the claim petition.

The injury was accepted for a foot contusion for medical benefits only. The claimant claimed much more severe injuries and sought wage loss benefits after his termination from employment. We successfully argued that the injury was limited to a contusion from which the claimant had recovered, and that his termination was for cause. The Workers’ Compensation Judge denied the claim petition and granted our termination petition.

We received a favorable decision from the Department of Labor (DOL) denying a coal miner’s claim for benefits when the only evidence submitted by his widow was the death certificate listing severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) as the primary cause of death. The DOL claims examiner agreed with our position that the death certificate alone, was insufficient evidence to sustain the claimant’s burden of proving that her husband had totally disabling coal workers’ pneumoconiosis during his lifetime.

We were successful in obtaining a decision denying a widow’s claim for Federal Black Lung benefits. The deceased miner worked in underground coal mining for 11 years. His lifetime claim for benefits was denied after numerous claim filings and appeals. The widow then sought survivor’s benefits based upon the opinion of her medical expert, who opined that the miner’s death was hastened by coal workers’ pneumoconiosis.

In this Pennsylvania workers’ compensation action, the judge found that the claimant failed to prove a loss in earnings related to his work injury since returning to work. Instead, he found that the claimant’s loss in earnings was due to lack of work caused by weather conditions or other factors. Additionally, the judge denied both penalty petitions, finding that the claimant had failed to prove a violation of the Act by the carrier for refusal to pay wage loss benefits and medical bills.