We are New Jersey Work-Related Injury & Workers’ Compensation Lawyers
Securing 100% authorized medical care, maximizing temporary disability wages, and protecting injured workers in Passaic, Bergen, and Northern New Jersey since 1922.
An injury on the job does more than disrupt your workday—it instantly threatens your family’s financial survival. As you struggle to physically recover from orthopedic trauma, repetitive strain, or a severe workplace fall, you are immediately forced to confront a confusing and hostile system. Your employer’s insurance adjuster may delay your medical appointments, force you to see “independent” doctors who downplay your pain, or fail to pay your temporary disability checks on time.
At Raff & Raff, LLP, we have protected injured New Jersey workers and their families for over a century (1922–Present). We know that navigating the New Jersey Division of Workers’ Compensation requires dedicated, aggressive advocacy. Our workers’ compensation department is managed by Christopher M. Hoskey, Esq., a highly focused attorney who devotes his entire practice to representing injured workers. Unlike high-volume “settlement mills” where you never speak to your lawyer, Christopher handles every detail of your claim personally.
We do not let self-insured employers or corporate insurance carriers cut off your medical treatments or bully you back to work before you are physically healed. We go on the offensive immediately, auditing your accident reports, filing formal motions for medical and temporary benefits, and fighting to secure the absolute maximum financial awards for your permanent partial or total disability.
We represent injured workers strictly on a contingency fee basis under our No Recovery, No Fee Guarantee. This means you do not pay us a single dollar out-of-pocket, and we only collect a legal fee if we successfully win a financial settlement, permanent disability award, or trial verdict on your behalf.
Overcoming Complex Obstacles in New Jersey Workers’ Compensation Law
Select a category below to discover how we secure your medical benefits, enforce your wage protections, and maximize your permanent disability awards:
100% Authorized Medical Care
Forcing Treatment Approval
Under New Jersey law, your employer’s insurance carrier is legally required to pay for $100\%$ of all necessary medical treatment, prescriptions, surgeries, and physical therapy related to your work injury.
- The Defense: The insurance carrier has the legal right to “authorize” the doctors you see. However, they frequently abuse this right by selecting conservative, insurance-friendly doctors who attempt to cut off your treatment prematurely. Christopher Hoskey immediately files emergency Motions for Medical and Temporary Benefits in the local workers’ comp court to force the insurance company to pay for specialized care, second opinions, and diagnostic MRIs.
70% Temporary Disability Benefits
Protecting Your Household Income
If your work-related injury prevents you from working for more than 7 consecutive days, you are legally entitled to receive temporary disability benefits to replace your lost income.
- The Defense: These tax-free benefits must equal 70% of your average weekly wage, up to the maximum statutory limit set by the state of New Jersey. If your employer delays your checks, undercalculates your average wage, or attempts to force you back on “light duty” that violates your doctor’s restrictions, we take immediate legal action to enforce your income protections and recover retroactive back-pay.
Permanent Disability Awards
Securing Long-Term Financial Recovery
Once you have completed your medical treatment and reached “Maximum Medical Improvement” (MMI), you have a statutory right to be compensated for any permanent physical limitation.
- The Defense: We collaborate with independent, board-certified medical experts to evaluate your permanent restrictions (such as loss of mobility in a shoulder, a fused spinal disc, or permanent joint damage). Christopher Hoskey presents these forensic evaluations in the local workers’ comp court to secure a Permanent Partial Disability (PPD) or Permanent Total Disability (PTD) award, forcing the insurance company to pay you a structured financial settlement.
Serious & Catastrophic Injuries Resulting from Workplace Negligence
Whether you are an office worker suffering from repetitive strain, a delivery driver injured in a highway crash, or an industrial worker caught in heavy machinery, we represent clients facing serious injuries, including:
- Spinal Cord Trauma: Herniated, bulging, or ruptured discs, cervical whiplash, spinal fusions, and permanent nerve root compression from lifting or falls.
- Orthopedic Fractures & Joint Tears: Shattered knees, broken wrists, torn rotator cuffs, and ligament tears (ACL/MCL) requiring complex surgical reconstruction.
- Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs): Concussions, skull fractures, and permanent cognitive impairment resulting from falling objects or physical impacts.
- Repetitive Stress & Carpal Tunnel: Severe nerve compression in the wrists and hands from repetitive assembly line work, typing, or heavy tool operation.
- Severe Burns & Electrocutions: Deep-tissue thermal and chemical burns, electrical trauma, and nerve damage from exposed live wires or toxic machinery.
Your Step-by-Step Action Plan After a Work-Related Injury
- Seek Immediate Emergency Medical Care: Go to the nearest emergency room or urgent care center (such as St. Joseph’s Level 1 Trauma Center in Paterson) to document your physical injuries and secure diagnostic imaging.
- Report the Injury to Your Employer: Notify your supervisor, site manager, or HR department in writing immediately. Under New Jersey law (N.J.S.A. 34:15-17), you must notify your employer within 90 days of the incident, or you risk losing your right to recover benefits forever.
- Request Medical Treatment: Ask your employer to provide an authorized workers’ compensation doctor. Ensure this request is documented in writing (via email or text) to create an official paper trail.
- Document the Incident and Hazard: Take detailed photos of the dangerous condition or machinery that caused your injury, and get the names and contact details of any co-workers who witnessed the accident.
- Do NOT Rely on Your Employer’s Promises: Do not assume your employer will “take care of you” or file your claim correctly. Speak with an experienced workers’ compensation attorney first to protect your rights.
Rooted in Paterson to Serve Passaic, Bergen & Northern New Jersey
Because workers’ compensation cases are litigated in the local district court where the injured worker resides, our central office on Church Street in Paterson is located less than a 10-minute drive from the Paterson District Workers’ Compensation Court, where local Passaic County cases are filed, heard, and decided.
Because we maintain a fully staffed second office footprint in Ridgewood, we are uniquely positioned to represent Bergen County workers appearing at the Hackensack District Workers’ Compensation Court. We routinely represent work-injury victims receiving critical care at major regional healthcare hubs throughout Northern New Jersey, including:
- St. Joseph’s University Medical Center (Paterson – Passaic County’s premier Level 1 Trauma Center)
- The Valley Hospital (Paramus / Ridgewood – directly adjacent to our Bergen County office footprint)
- Hackensack University Medical Center (Hackensack – Bergen County’s leading trauma hub)
- Morristown Medical Center (Morristown – serving our Morris County accident clients)
- Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center (Livingston – serving our western Essex County clients)
- St. Joseph’s Wayne Medical Center (Wayne)
- Clifton Urgent Care & Local Medical Centers (Clifton)
- Holy Name Medical Center (Teaneck)
- Jersey City Medical Center (Jersey City – serving our Hudson County clients)
Frequently Asked Questions About NJ Workers’ Comp
No. Under New Jersey law (N.J.S.A. 34:15-39.1), it is strictly illegal for an employer to discharge, discriminate, or retaliate against you in any way for filing a workers’ compensation claim or seeking benefits. If your employer fires you, cuts your hours, or demotes you because you were injured at work, we can file a formal wrongful retaliation claim on your behalf, which carries severe financial penalties for the employer.
An uncontested workers’ comp case is one where the insurance company voluntarily approves your medical treatment and pays your temporary disability checks on time. A contested case occurs when the insurance company denies your claim, argues your injury did not happen at work, refuses to authorize a surgery, or fails to offer a fair permanent disability award. We step in to litigate contested cases, filing formal claims with the state to force the insurance company to pay.
Yes. New Jersey operates under a “no-fault” workers’ compensation system. This means you are legally entitled to receive medical benefits and temporary disability wages regardless of who was at fault for the accident, even if your own mistake caused your injury. The only exceptions are if you were intoxicated, under the influence of illegal drugs, or engaged in intentional self-harm or physical horseplay at the time of the accident.
In New Jersey, hiring a workers’ comp attorney is completely risk-free. Under New Jersey Court Rule 1:21-7, we represent you strictly on a contingency basis. This means you do not pay us a single dollar out-of-pocket, and our legal fee is capped at a maximum of 20% of your final permanent disability award. Furthermore, the workers’ compensation judge will typically order your employer’s insurance company to pay for the majority of our legal fee, meaning your actual out-of-pocket legal fee is often only a small fraction of that amount.
Protect Your Job. Protect Your Health. Protect Your Future.
Do not allow a negligent employer or a corporate insurance carrier to delay your medical treatment, downplay your pain, or underpay your claim. Speak face-to-face with an experienced Northern New Jersey workers’ compensation attorney in our office or via a secure Zoom meeting. We will analyze your accident reports, review your medical files, and outline a clear, aggressive strategy to secure your future.
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