[00:00:00] Welcome and Introductions
Lawrence LeBrocq, managing partner and CEO of Garces, Grabler & LeBrocq, opens the show and introduces Michael Tomasino, one of the top workers’ compensation attorneys in New Jersey, noting Tomasino works seven days a week and is projected to reach roughly $15 million in settlements this year.
[00:01:00] Why He Became A Workers’ Comp Lawyer
Tomasino traces his motivation to a family of union members and his own decade working full time in restaurants. He argues that knowing how to operate a pallet jack or an immersion blender gives him a different understanding of injured workers than legacy attorneys who never held a non lawyer job.
[00:02:06] The Changing Face Of Workplace Injury
Tomasino describes the range of cases GGL handles, from the quintessential scaffold fall to a new class of logistics and gig economy injuries involving Amazon Flex, Uber, and Lyft drivers. He notes the types of accidents seen today look very different than those before the pandemic.
[00:03:41] What To Do When You Are Hurt At Work
Tomasino lays out the first steps: report the injury, request medical treatment, and draft an incident report so there is proof. He warns that employers sometimes instruct workers headed to the hospital to deny the injury happened at work, and urges honesty with treating physicians.
[00:04:52] Why Documentation Decides The Case
Tomasino explains that New Jersey has no bad faith statute, so there is little consequence when a carrier wrongfully denies a claim. Early proof that the accident occurred at work lets him convince a judge at the first or second hearing and shortens the gap where an injured worker gets no treatment or pay.
[00:06:25] How Insurers Control Your Treatment
Tomasino describes how a carrier steers injured workers to a walk in clinic and lets them treat for months without real diagnostic imaging or specialists. Many workers go half a year without knowing what is wrong before they retain an attorney.
[00:07:29] The GGL Unauthorized Treatment Model
Tomasino explains what sets the firm apart: forwarding clients to doctors GGL directs, often the same day they retain the firm. This guarantees immediate treatment, early diagnosis through MRIs and CT scans, and the medical records needed to prove a worker cannot return to the job.
[00:08:56] Piecing Together The Bills
Tomasino compares assembling denied claims to a puzzle, gathering records and bills from every hospital, physician, and imaging center involved. He notes that a single hospital visit that once produced 20 pages now generates thousands of pages and dozens of separate bills, and that fewer than 3 percent of cases are authorized from the start.
[00:11:30] Third Party Claims Versus Workers’ Comp
Tomasino explains the difference between a first party workers’ compensation claim and a third party negligence claim, using a work truck rear ended by another driver as the example. He details how workers’ comp is primary in New Jersey and how the two claims interact, including the lien that must be paid back.
[00:16:30] Occupational And Repetitive Injuries
Lawrence and Tomasino go beyond carpal tunnel to occupational low back syndrome and other repetitive bending and lifting injuries common in warehouse and logistics work. Tomasino describes workers lifting hundreds of heavy packages an hour and the damage done to spines, knees, and shoulders.
[00:18:16] Why Occupational Claims Get Denied
Tomasino explains that occupational claims are almost always denied in New Jersey, forcing the firm to sue the employer and every insurance carrier across the exposure period, sometimes fighting a dozen defense lawyers at once. He points to GGL’s statewide panel of nearly 60 subspecialists as the reason clients still get treated.
[00:20:37] Trends Reshaping Workers’ Compensation
Tomasino flags national trends, including whether rideshare drivers qualify for benefits, and notes New Jersey has not yet followed states that presume these drivers are employees. He explains that inflation has pushed claim values up while large out of state defense firms now litigate cases far harder.
[00:23:12] Key Takeaways And Why Call GGL
Tomasino distills his advice: report the injury, get an employer report, seek treatment, be honest with physicians, and track your bills. He closes on why clients should call the firm, citing over $500 million recovered in New Jersey workers’ compensation claims, the largest physician panel in the state, and certified trial attorneys in both practice areas.
