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.
Recent Developments in New Jersey Workers’ Compensation
There have been a number of developments in the Division of Workers’ Compensation in 2015 of which practitioners should be aware: Retirement of Director Peter J. Calderone, After 13 years of service as Director of the Division of Workers’ Compensation and 39 years of service to the State of New Jersey, Chief Judge and Director […]
Federal Court Holds that Employer Does Not Have to Remove Essential Job Functions as a Reasonable Accommodation Under ADA
Joe Wilkerson worked for Boomerang Tube, LLC first as a general laborer and then as a mill operator. He injured his left hand on December 13, 2010 while operating the mill. He returned to work on restricted duty on December 17, 2010. On that evening at work, he reinjured his hand requiring another visit to […]
Appellate Division Reverses Dismissal of Case for Failure to Show Good Cause
Robin Williams was injured working for Ready Pack on May 18, 2006 and May 22, 2006. A settlement was approved for 10% of partial total for the left shoulder on August 11, 2008. Thereafter, Williams moved to Philadelphia and left the employment of Ready Pack. On August 10, 2010, petitioner filed a reopener application alleging […]
Superior Court Decision Refused to Follow Unreported Decision in Dever V. New Jersey Manufacturers
There has been a great deal of controversy about respondent’s lien rights in motor vehicle accident cases since the unreported ruling in Dever v. New Jersey Mfrs. Ins. Co., No. A-3102-11T2 (App. Div. October 23, 2013). In one decision from last summer, an Atlantic City Superior Court Judge rejected the application of the Dever rule […]
Appellate Division Affirms Large Award to Airline Employee
It is very difficult to appeal a Judge of Compensation on the level of permanency awarded following trial. That lesson can be seen in Huesser v. United Airlines, A-5959-12T3, (App. Div. July 14, 2014). Elaine Huesser worked as a flight attendant for United Airlines since 1998. She suffered her first injury on September 28, 2005 […]
Comp Insurers Remain Concerned over the Expiration of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act (TRIA)
We live in a world where terrorism unfortunately poses genuine insurance risks. The Terrorism Risk Insurance Act (TRIA) was passed by President George W. Bush on November 26, 2002 to establish a backstop for insurance claims arising from acts of terrorism. This coverage includes workers’ compensation claims. Before September 11, 2001, insurance companies generally did not […]
Appellate Division Finds That Horse Trainer Was An Independent Contractor, Not Employee Of The Horse Owner
Under the New Jersey Workers’ Compensation Act, the independent contractor defense is seldom successful, but one area where the defense is still viable is in the horse racing industry as seen in the recent decision of Perry v. Robert Horowitz Stable, A-3845-12T2 (App. Div. December 9, 2014). Randolph Perry was a licensed horse owner and […]
Appellate Court Orders Home Modifications to Be Paid by Comp Carrier but Reverses Court Order on Home Elevator
There are few Appellate Division cases dealing with the requirements on an employer/carrier with respect to home modifications when an employee has suffered catastrophic injuries. For this reason, the decision in Loeber v. Fair Lawn Board of Education, A-1990-13T1 (App. Div. December 5, 2014) is important for practitioners in New Jersey. Mr. Loeber was injured […]
Appellate Division Rejects Strict Application of One-Year Rule on Dismissals For Lack of Prosecution
Workers’ compensation practitioners are very familiar with N.J.S.A. 34:15-54, which is the provision that allows a case to be dismissed for lack of prosecution, allowing the claimant one year to reinstate the case for good cause shown. But the one-year period in the statute may not be as rigid as practitioners thought in light of […]
Geaney’s 2015 Workers’ Comp Manual Highlights
The 2015 Manual is a compilation of prior editions with particular emphasis on cases decided in 2013-2014 as well as the addition of important chapters for practitioners of workers’ compensation. Several Supreme Court decisions and numerous appellate division decisions are analyzed in this edition. Some of the 2015 Edition highlights are as follows: New chapter […]
Third Circuit Court Holds Employer May Have Violated Law against Discrimination in Firing Long-Time Employee
Segundo Rojas worked 28 years for Acuity Brands Lighting, Inc. In June 2011, Rojas was approved to leave work for a vacation to Ecuador set to last from June 27 to July 12, 2011. However, he became ill in Ecuador from diverticulitis and did not return until September 12, 2011. Rojas claimed that he was […]
Third Circuit Finds Employer May Have Interfered with FMLA Rights by Not Allowing Employee with Doctor’s Clearance to Return to Work
The case of Budhun v. Reading Hospital and Medical Center, 765 F.3d 245 (3d Cir. 2014) shows how complex return-to-work issues can be under FMLA. The plaintiff in that case, Vanessa Budhun, worked as a credential assistant for Reading Hospital. About sixty five percent of her job required typing. Budhun took about four weeks of […]
Court Deems Nanny “Special Employee” And Therefore Barred From Suing Homeowners for Negligence
Nilda Zulueta owned Artime, Inc, doing business as Cardel Jewelers, in New York City. She employed plaintiff Mirtala Pineda to clean the jewelry store and Zulueta’s home in North Bergen, New Jersey, after Pineda had immigrated to the United States from El Salvador in 1990. In 2004, Zulueta directed Pineda to work full-time at the […]
EEOC Guidance on Pregnancy Discrimination Act and Access to Light Duty
On July 14, 2014, the EEOC issued Enforcement Guidance on the Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA). That law was passed in 1978 to make clear that discrimination based on pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions is a form of sex discrimination prohibited by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The basic premise of […]
Petitioner Failed To Prove Her Husband’s Death From Multiple Myeloma Was Related To Possible Benzene Exposure During A Five Year Period
Decedent, Gerald Hallquist, worked as a laboratory technician for E.I. Dupont de Nemours (hereinafter Dupont) from 1968 until his retirement in 1998. Between 1977 and 1982, he worked in the quality control lab with liquid chemicals, including benzene. He wore safety gloves and a uniform supplied by Dupont. When working with certain chemicals, the decedent […]
Connect with Capehart Scatchard