John H. Geaney
John H. Geaney, a shareholder and co-chair of Capehart Scatchard's Workers' Compensation department, 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 as distributed by NJICLE. If you are interested in purchasing the manual, 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 and is certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a workers’ compensation law attorney. He is one of two firm representatives to the National Workers’ Compensation Defense Network. He has served on the Executive Committee of Capehart Scatchard for over ten (10) years.
A graduate of Holy Cross College summa cum laude, Mr. Geaney obtained his law degree from Boston College Law School. He has been named a “Super Lawyer” by his peers and Law and Politics. He serves as Vice President of the Friends of MEND, the fundraising arm of a local charitable organization devoted to promoting affordable housing.
Capehart Scatchard is a full service law firm with offices in Mt. Laurel and Trenton, 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.
Occupational Stress – Goyden v. State Judiciary
The most important occupational stress psychiatric opinion is Goyden v. State Judiciary, 256 N.J. Super. 438 (App. Div. 1991), aff’d, 128 N.J. 54 (1992). Goyden was the first significant post-1980 case construing Section 31. It involved a claim by the supervisor of records in the office of the Clerk of the Supreme Court, who was adjudged […]
Liens and Subrogation – Kuhnel v. CNA Ins. Cos.
In Kuhnel v. CNA Ins. Cos., 322 N.J. Super. 568 (App. Div. 1999), certif. denied, 163 N.J. 12, cert. denied, 531 U.S. 819 (2000) the Appellate Division held that a lien under N.J.S.A. 34:15-40 shall not include expenses for rehabilitation nursing services as a medical cost unless respondent can prove that the services primarily benefited […]
Liens and Subrogation – Errickson v. Supermarkets General Corp.
New Jersey has a powerful subrogation provision under N.J.S.A. 34:15-40. Respondent is entitled to two thirds of its payment if the recovery exceeds the total workers’ compensation expenses. The employer must properly reserve lien rights. The case of Errickson v. Supermarkets General Corp., 246 N.J. Super. 457 (App. Div. 1991) points out how failure to […]
Intentional Harm – Laidlow v. Hariton Machinery Co., Inc.
Until 2002, the standard employed to decide whether conduct constituted intentional harm was so rigid that it basically amounted to proving that an employer created a virtual certainty of harm. Then came a series of decisions from the New Jersey Supreme Court which opened up the exclusive remedy provision. One of the leading cases is Laidlow […]
Independent Contractor – Re/Max v. Wausau Ins. Cos.
The independent contractor test was thoroughly analyzed by the Supreme Court in Re/Max v. Wausau Ins. Cos., 162 N.J. 282 (2000). In that case Re/Max argued that all of its real estate agents were independent contractors. They signed agreements to that effect. While most of the real estate agents worked full time, they did not have […]
Independent Contractor – Kertesz v. Korsh
To establish that an employee is an independent contractor the employer must consider the two tests used in New Jersey. The case of Kertesz v. Korsh, 296 N.J. Super. 146 (App. Div. 1996) provides an illustration. In this case the petitioner, Michael Kertesz, was a skilled contractor who did sheet rocking for 30 years. He had […]
Fraud case – Cardiello v. Community Medical Center
In a case handled successfully on appeal by Anne Hammill, Esq. of Capehart Scatchard, the Appellate Division vacated a 60% award to petitioner in Cardiello v. Community Medical Center, A-3172-06T1 (App. Div. March 19, 2008). Petitioner, Valerie Cardiello, alleged that she injured her back on December 30, 2001 while working for respondent. She later amended […]
Fraud case – Singh v. Cream-O-Land Dairy
New Jersey has its own fraud provision built into the statute under N.J.S.A. 34:15-57.4. There are two helpful unreported cases on fraud. In Singh v. Cream-O-Land Dairy, A-2468-06T5, (App. Div. March 27, 2008), the Appellate Division affirmed the decision of the Honorable Michael P. Mullen, Judge of Compensation, in denying compensation to a claimant who […]
Casual employment – Martin v. Pollard
Casual employees are excluded from receiving benefits under N.J.S.A. 34:15-36. The present definition of casual employment embraces two concepts, depending on whether the services are given in relation to a business, or whether they are unconnected to a business. If the services are rendered in relation to a business, they are casual if they are […]
Connect with Capehart Scatchard