John H. Geaney
John H. Geaney, Esq. is a Shareholder and Co-Chair of Capehart Scatchard's Workers' Compensation Group. Mr. Geaney began an email newsletter entitled “Currents in Workers’ Compensation, ADA and FMLA” in 2001 in order to keep clients and readers informed on leading developments in these three areas of law. Since that time he has written over 500 newsletter updates.
Mr. Geaney is the author of Geaney’s New Jersey Workers’ Compensation Manual for Practitioners, Adjusters & Employers. The Manual is distributed by the New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education (NJICLE). He also authored an ADA and FMLA Manual also distributed by NJICLE. If you are interested in purchasing “Geaney’s New Jersey Workers’ Compensation Manual for Practitioners, Adjusters & Employers,” please contact NJICLE at 732-214-8500 or visit their website at www.njicle.com.
Mr. Geaney represents employers in the defense of workers’ compensation, ADA and FMLA matters. He is a Fellow of the College of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers of the American Bar Association. He is one of two firm representatives to the National Workers’ Compensation Defense Network.
A graduate of Holy Cross College summa cum laude, Mr. Geaney obtained his law degree from Boston College Law School.
Mr. Geaney was selected to the “New Jersey Super Lawyer” list (2005-2017, 2021 in the area of Workers’ Compensation). Only 5% of attorneys are selected to “Super Lawyers” through a peer nominated process based on independent research and peer evaluation. The Super Lawyers list is issued by Thomson Reuters. For a description of the “Super Lawyers” selection methodology, please visit https://www.superlawyers.com/about/selection_process.html
For the years 2022-2024 Mr. Geaney was selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® list in the practice area of Workers’ Compensation Law - Employers. The attorneys on this list are selected based upon the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area. A complete description of The Best Lawyers in America® methodology can be viewed via their website at https://www.bestlawyers.com/methodology.
*No aspect of this advertisement has been submitted to or approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.
Capehart Scatchard is a full service law firm with offices in Mt. Laurel and Hamilton, New Jersey. The firm represents employers and businesses in a wide variety of areas, including workers’ compensation, civil litigation, labor, environmental, business, estates and governmental affairs.
Retaliation Claim in Workers’ Compensation Is Not Barred Because Plaintiff Also Filed a Discrimination Claim under the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination
Can an employee maintain both a workers’ compensation retaliation claim at the same time as he alleges discrimination under the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (LAD)? That was one issue answered in Larson v. City of Paterson, A-2526-15T4 (App. Div. October 26, 2017). Carl Larson worked as a firefighter for the City of Paterson from […]
Court Cannot Require Carrier to Pay Dependency Benefits Beyond 450 Weeks Even If Carrier Mistakenly Agreed to Pay Such Benefits at Time of Settlement
The case of Apperman v. Visiting Nurse Association of Westfield, A-5446-15T3 (App. Div. October 30, 2017) presented an unusual situation where a carrier agreed to pay benefits that exceeded its obligation under the statute. The case involved the tragic death of Phyllis Apperman who died in a motor vehicle accident in December 2003. The claim […]
When Are Drives To Physicians Covered Under Workers’ Compensation?
It is not uncommon for injured workers to suffer additional injuries due to car accidents on the way to a physician’s office or physical therapist’s office. So what are the rules in New Jersey on compensability? Q. Is the injured worker covered for workers’ compensation purposes in a car accident on the way to treatment? […]
Circuit Court of Appeals Rejects EEOC Position that a Long-Term Leave of Absence Can Constitute a Reasonable Accommodation under the ADA
The EEOC has provided guidance that in its view a fairly long leave of absence should be considered a reasonable accommodation even after FMLA leave has been exhausted. The Court in Severson v. Heartland Woodcraft, Inc., 33 AD Cases 1113, September 20, 2017 disagreed rather strongly with that view and did not follow EEOC advice. […]
Appellate Division Reverses Award of 47.5% for Unoperated Low Back Condition
Rarely does the Appellate Division reverse a Judge of Compensation when the only issue is the extent of permanent partial disability. The case of Van Artsdalen v. Fred M. Schiavone Construction, No. A-3392-15T1, 2017 N.J. Super. Unpub. LEXIS 2516 (Oct. 5, 2017) is that rare example. The petitioner, Mr. Van Artsdalen, was injured on January […]
The Underutilized and Underappreciated Defense of Lack of Timely Notice
Some defenses, like the going-and-coming rule, get all the attention but there are other less well known defenses, like lack of timely notice, which can be very powerful as a defense in workers’ compensation. One of the reasons that the notice defense is often ignored in New Jersey is its peculiar wording. It has three […]
Appellate Court Reverses Order for Temporary Disability Benefits Against One of Two Potential Employers Where Employment Was Disputed
When a petitioner files a motion for medical and temporary disability benefits and the only issue is which carrier or employer is responsible, the Judge of Compensation can order benefits paid by one of the parties pending the outcome of litigation. The logic behind this rule is that it is unfair to delay benefits to […]
Federal Court Allows Sheriff’s Deputies to Proceed to Jury Trial On Their Claim that County Ignored Their Requests for Light Duty Assignments While Recovering from Work Injuries
Light duty was the issue in Smith v. DuPage Cnty. Sheriff, 33 AD Cases 789 (N.D. Ill. June 5, 2017). Four Sheriff’s Deputies suffered work injuries in 2013 and 2014 and received full salary for one year while on leave from their injuries. After the one-year period, the officers received the statutory amount for temporary […]
Township Prevails in Dismissing Occupational Psychiatric Claim of Former Police Officer
Occupational psychiatric claims, like all occupational claims, must be filed within time or be subject to the statute of limitations defense. The challenge is always whether the employer can prove that the employee knew the nature of his condition and its relationship to work. That was the issue in Bender v. Township of North Bergen, […]
New York Staffing Company’s Carrier Must Pay Workers’ Comp for Injury In New Jersey Even Though the Policy Specified Solely New York Locations
Cases involving temporary staffing agencies and professional employer organizations often lead to unusual and complex legal issues in workers’ compensation. The recent case of Detres v. Workforce Logistics Corp., A-4963-15T1 (App. Div. August 25, 2017) illustrates this point quite well by delving deeply into coverage and conflicts of law issues in a very high exposure […]
Court Rejects Argument that Level I and II Trauma Centers Deserve Special Fee Schedules in Comp
In University Physicians Associates v. Transport Drivers, Inc., A-3350-15T2 (App. Div. August 22, 2017), the Appellate Division considered an argument that Level I and II Trauma Centers should be given different treatment when it comes to billing along the lines that they receive under the fee schedule for No-Fault automobile policies. The case stemmed from […]
How Employers Can Win Trials On Reopeners
Last week I wrote about how employers should not handle reopener claims, namely trying them on reports without expert testimony. The case of Kalucki v. United Parcel Service, A-3486-15T3 (App. Div. August 15, 2017) demonstrates the winning strategy for employers to adopt in reopener claims. The case involved an injury that took place many years […]
Respondent’s Decision Not To Produce Live Testimony Costs Dearly On Reopener Award
There is a cardinal rule in workers’ compensation trials that employers and defense counsel must follow: never try a case on reports unless the exposure is minimal. To put it another way, where the exposure is significant, the employer must bring in a medical witness for testimony and cross examine the petitioner’s expert. The employer […]
UPS Prevails By Means of Occupational Statute of Limitations Defense on Claim for Bilateral Knee Replacement Surgery
The best defense against an occupational disease claim is often the statute of limitations. That is how the employer won in Mara v. United Parcel Service, A-3691-15T4 (App. Div. August 4, 2017). The case involved a package car driver named Craig Mara who began working for UPS in 1983. He filed a claim petition in […]
How Employers Can Reduce Permanency Awards In New Jersey At No Cost
Permanency awards in the New Jersey Division of Workers’ Compensation can amount to very significant dollars. An award of 40% partial permanent disability at 2017 rates amounts to $114,720 – tax free. Furthermore, the case can be reopened within two years from the last date of payment for further permanency benefits. If the employee reopens […]
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