Pennsylvania Workers' Compensation Blog

Martin, Banks, Pond, Lehocky & Wilson partner Alfred J. Carlson has been elected Co-Chair of the Philadelphia Bar Association's Workers' Compensation Section. The Association's Workers' Compensation Section was established in 1995 to address the specialized needs of lawyers practicing workers' compensation law. Section members helped shape recently enacted workers' compensation law by reviewing and commenting on various legislative proposals that emerged prior to the final passage of the statute.

Mr. Carlson has been a litigator of Pennsylvania workers' compensation cases since 1992. For the first seven years of his practice, he worked at a leading defense firm representing major corporations, insurance companies, and state and local government agencies in Pennsylvania workers' compensation matters. In 2000, he joined Martin Banks to represent injured workers. In addition to an extensive caseload, Mr. Carlson is a frequent lecturer on workers' compensation matters and has authored numerous articles on the subject. Mr. Carlson has served as the legislative liaison for the Philadelphia Bar Association's Workers' Compensation Section prior to his election as Co-Chair. He is a member of the Pennsylvania and Philadelphia Bar Associations as well as the Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association. He received his law degree from Widener University School of Law in 1992 and is licensed to practice in Pennsylvania.

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Every year, approximately three months before your birthday, the Social Security Administration will send workers over the age of 25 a Social Security Statement. This Earning Statement, as it is often referred to, is an easy-to-read, personal record of the earnings on which you have paid Social Security taxes during your working years. This form also gives you an estimate of benefit payments that you and your family may qualify for now and in the future. Unfortunately, most Americans pay little attention to this green and white piece of paper, often times discarding it. If you are interested in applying for Social Security Disability benefits, this statement can help determine whether you qualify for benefits. If you did throw your statement away, don't worry! We tell you how to get a new Statement later in this article.

Many wonder if they are eligible to qualify for Social Security Disability benefits. A good rule of thumb to determine eligibility is this: if you have worked and paid Social Security taxes for five out of the last ten years, you are more than likely eligible for benefits. However, it is possible that although you worked for the past five years, you did not earn enough credits to qualify. That is why the Social Security Earning Statement is so important. Within this statement, Social Security specifically indicated whether or not you have earned enough credits to qualify. If you have earned enough credits to qualify for disability, Social Security will indicate what your monthly benefit rate will be if you are found to be disabled. If you have not earned enough credits to qualify, Social Security will tell you exactly how many credits you are short.

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Martin, Banks, Pond, Lehocky & Wilson is pleased to announce the appointment of David F. Stern as a partner of the firm. David has been with the firm since 2004 and focuses his practice solely on the representation of injured workers in workers' compensation matters. Prior to joining the firm, he worked on the defense side of workers' compensation at one of the leading defense firms in Philadelphia, representing insurance carriers and employers.

Mr. Stern has published several articles on workers' compensation in the Legal Intelligencer and is a frequent speaker at seminars in this area of law. He is a member of the Philadelphia and Pennsylvania Bar Associations and Trial Lawyers Associations. In 2006, Mr. Stern was recognized by the First Judicial District of Pennsylvania by being enrolled in their Pro Bono Roll of Honor. Mr. Stern was appointed to the Membership and Amicus Curiae Committees of the Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association. He is an active volunteer in the Philadelphia Volunteers for the Indigent Program (VIP), where he handles a variety of cases for underprivileged individuals on a pro bono basis.

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