Bill > A5659

This bill, titled the Establishes 21st Century Injured Workers' Access to Justice Act, amends New Jersey's workers' compensation law to increase the maximum allowable attorney fee for claimants from 20% to 25% of the total judgment or settlement. It also increases the maximum fee for evaluating physicians and treating physicians providing reports or testimony. Additionally, the bill specifies that the basis for awarding a contingency fee should be the value of the money judgment awarded to the petitioner, and that the judge should not consider the number of hours expended by counsel or their hourly rate when determining the reasonableness of the fee. The bill applies retroactively to any pending contingency fee determinations by a judge of workers' compensation on or after the date of enactment.

Labor and Employment

https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bill-search/2022/A5659