Plymouth Workers’ Compensation Lawyers

The coastal community of Plymouth, famed landing place of the Mayflower, has evolved into a modern regional hub for healthcare, construction, advanced manufacturing, tourism, and public services. With economic growth comes occupational risk: from scaffold falls on expansion projects along the waterfront to repetitive-stress injuries suffered by medical staff at Beth Israel Deaconess-Plymouth. When the unexpected happens, injured employees rely on Massachusetts’ workers’ compensation system to keep a roof overhead, pay medical bills, and support a safe return to work.

Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers has guided injured Bay Staters through that system for nearly three decades. Our Plymouth workers’ compensation lawyers combine local insight with statewide reputation. Below you will find an in-depth look at the Mass. workers’ compensation law, the claim process, common pitfalls, and how our firm maximizes every dollar you are entitled to recover.

Massachusetts adopted its no-fault workers’ compensation statute, Chapter 152 of the General Laws, more than a century ago. Today, every public and private employer with one or more employees must carry coverage or qualify as a self-insurer. Benefits are administered by the Department of Industrial Accidents (DIA), which enforces the Act, adjudicates disputed claims, and maintains the online filing portal.

Any injury, illness, or disease “arising out of and in the course of employment” is compensable. The definition is broad: traumatic accidents, gradual wear-and-tear, occupational diseases (e.g., asbestos-related mesothelioma at the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station cleanup), and even work-related mental health conditions qualify. Coverage begins the first day on the job; there is no waiting period for eligibility.

Under Chapter 152, an injured Plymouth worker may receive:

• Medical treatment: All reasonable and necessary care, including surgery, physical therapy, prescription medications, and assistive devices.
• Temporary total disability (TTD): 60 % of the employee’s pre-injury average weekly wage (AWW) when unable to work for five or more days.
• Temporary partial disability (TPD): Up to 75 % of the TTD rate if able to perform limited duties at reduced earnings.
• Permanent and total disability (PTD): Two-thirds of AWW for life when the industrial injury precludes any gainful employment.
• Section 36 specific loss benefits: Lump-sum payments for disfigurement, loss of function, or scarring on the face, neck, or hands.
• Vocational rehabilitation: Job retraining or education paid by the insurer if you cannot return to your former employment.
• Survivor benefits: Weekly payments plus burial expenses when a work-related injury is fatal.

Notify a supervisor as soon as practicable, ideally the same shift, to preserve evidence and prevent defenses based on lack of notice. Employers then have seven calendar days (excluding Sundays and legal holidays) to file the Employer’s First Report of Injury (Form 101) with their insurer and the DIA if incapacity lasts five or more days.

Within 14 days of receiving notice, the insurer must either:

• Begin paying benefits, or
• Issue a Form 104 Insurer’s Notification of Denial explaining why compensation is refused (e.g., alleging intoxication, non-work-related condition, or insufficient medical proof).

If benefits stop or are denied altogether, Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers prepares and files a Claim for Benefits (Form 110). The DIA’s multi-layer dispute resolution system follows:

• Conciliation: Informal negotiation before a DIA conciliator. Many cases resolve here when supported by thorough medical evidence.
• Conference: A formal but non-evidentiary session before an administrative judge who may issue a temporary order under Section 10A.
• Hearing: A full evidentiary trial with testimony, exhibits, and cross-examination. The judge’s decision is appealable to the Reviewing Board and, ultimately, the Massachusetts Appeals Court.

Any modification, termination, or lump-sum redemption of weekly benefits must be memorialized in a written agreement and approved by the DIA. Without written approval, an insurer cannot unilaterally cease payments.

While Chapter 152 is statewide, geographic nuances affect the outcome:

Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers maintains relationships with orthopedic surgeons, vocational experts, and accident reconstructionists who routinely serve Plymouth claimants, bolstering medical credibility and damage valuation.

1. Premature Return-to-Work Demands
   Insurers often pressure physicians to clear employees for “light duty” before they have healed. Our attorneys challenge unfounded releases with second medical opinions and functional capacity evaluations.
2. Average Weekly Wage Manipulation
   Part-time hours, seasonal layoffs, and tips in Plymouth’s tourism sector complicate wage calculations. We reconstruct the correct 52-week earnings history, including overtime, bonuses, and concurrent employment, to boost weekly rates.
3. Denial Based on “Pre-Existing Condition”
   Chapter 152 compensates for an aggravation of a prior condition if work is a major cause of disability. Medical chronologies and expert causation opinions are critical to rebutting this defense.
4. Surveillance and Social Media Monitoring
   Insurers hire investigators or scour Instagram for “gotcha” footage. We counsel clients on prudent social-media use and challenge misleading surveillance in court.

Workers’ compensation provides swift, no-fault benefits but bars negligence suits against the employer. However, when a third party, such as manufacturers, subcontractors, or property owners, contributes to the injury, a separate tort action may recover:

• Full wage loss (without statutory caps)
• Pain and suffering (unavailable under Chapter 152)
• Future economic damages

Our trial team pursues these claims while coordinating liens and offsets under Section 15 to ensure you keep as much of the third-party recovery as the law allows.

• Digital Transformation of DIA Records – In January 2025, the DIA completed digitization of insurance card archives, improving verification of employer coverage and expediting claims.
• Pending SJC Cases on the Workers’ Compensation Trust Fund – Amicus briefs solicited in 2025 may clarify reimbursement rules when an uninsured employer defaults. Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers monitors appellate trends to anticipate future procedural shifts.

Four years from the date of injury, or from the date you knew or should have known the condition was work-related. Notice to the employer must still occur “as soon as practicable.”

Yes. Unlike some states, Massachusetts allows injured employees to choose any qualified physician after the first visit. The insurer may request an independent medical exam, but cannot dictate ongoing treatment providers. The doctor you choose must accept workers’ compensation patients and the “Board Rates” for services as set by the Commonwealth.

A claim can be filed against the Workers’ Compensation Trust Fund, which steps into the shoes of the uninsured employer. Prompt action is essential; penalties against the employer do not compensate you directly.

No. Chapter 152 protects all employees, regardless of citizenship or job tenure, so long as the injury arises out of employment in Massachusetts.

• Depth of Practice – Workers’ compensation is not a sideline at Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers. Our dedicated team litigates hundreds of comp cases each year, securing millions in cumulative benefits.
• Courtroom Reputation – Opposing counsel knows we prepare every claim as if it will be tried. That track record encourages early, favorable settlements.
• Client-Centered Service – We advance all costs, offer contingency-fee representation, and maintain a 24/7 hotline. Spanish and Portuguese interpreters are on staff.
• Secure Technology – End-to-end encryption protects your PHI and wage records; digital signatures streamline paperwork, no matter where you live in Plymouth County.

• $785,000 TTD and Lump-Sum – Carpenter who suffered lumbar fusion after a roof collapse on Long Pond Road. Disputed AWW recalculated to include side-job earnings, increasing weekly checks by 22 %.
• $310,000 Third-Party Settlement – Delivery driver rear-ended on Route 44 obtained full workers’ compensation plus pain-and-suffering damages against the negligent motorist.
• Lifetime PTD Secured – Hospital aide with occupational asthma caused by disinfectant exposure awarded permanent weekly benefits and vocational retraining vouchers.

(Results are illustrative; every case is unique.)

1. Free Case Evaluation – Speak directly with a licensed attorney.
2. Comprehensive Claim Audit – We verify coverage, calculate the correct average weekly wage, and gather medical records.
3. Aggressive Advocacy – From conciliation to appellate review, our lawyers stand between you and insurer tactics.
4. Holistic Recovery – Coordinated pursuit of Social Security Disability, Accidental Disability Retirement, or third-party actions maximizes total compensation.

If you were hurt on the job in Plymouth, do not navigate the system alone. The earlier you involve experienced counsel, the more leverage you have with adjusters and their medical reviewers.

• Phone: (617) 777-7777
• Website: www.jeffreysglassman.com
• Office: 1 Douglas Drive, Plymouth, MA (by appointment)

Consultations are confidential and cost nothing unless we win benefits for you. Let our Plymouth workers’ compensation lawyers safeguard your health, your paycheck, and your future while you focus on healing.