Legislature Approves Higher Attorney Fees; Insurers Warn of Chilling Effect on Settlements

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie vetoed the legislation four years ago. Now, claimants lawyers are hoping that Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy will sign a measure that would raise attorney fees and would fundamentally change the way insurance carriers make some settlement offers to injured workers. Insurers and employer groups have called Senate Bill 2145 a bad idea that could raise costs for employers and take a bigger bite of workers' settlement checks. But claimants' attorneys have said it's a matter of fairness, and that the bill would let attorneys get paid on the full amoun...