Split Court Says Board Can't Award Fees on Late Payment of Benefits

A majority on New York’s highest court ruled that the Workers’ Compensation Board cannot approve legal fees based on charges against an employer or insurance carrier for untimely compensation payments. Case: Matter of Gonzalez v. Northeast Parent & Child Society, No. 15, 03/17/2026, published. Facts and procedural history: The Law Firm of Alex Dell PLLC represented Wilfredo Gonzalez on his workers' compensation claim. A workers’ compensation law judge awarded counsel $2,189.93 in legal fees as a lien on Gonzalez’s $13,724.13 compensation award, pending r...