Bill Would Effectively Codify High Court Decision in Kocanowski

New Jersey lawmakers have introduced legislation that would effectively codify a state Supreme Court decision holding that volunteer firefighters injured in the line of duty are entitled to the maximum temporary disability benefit, regardless of whether they had outside employment at the time of injury. Before the high court handed down its decision in Kocanowski vs. Township of Bridgewater in 2019, volunteer firefighters were required to show proof of outside employment and lost wages to receive benefits. Volunteer firefighters who were unemployed at the time of injury could be denied b...