Appellate Division Vacates Assessment on Employer for Late Payment

The Superior Court of New Jersey’s Appellate Division overturned an assessment against a public employer for its delay in paying a settlement to a permanently disabled worker. Louis Ripp worked for the County of Hudson. He injured his back at work in February 2013, and the Division of Workers' Compensation paid temporary disability benefits and medical benefits. In 2016, Ripp’s expert and the county’s medical expert both opined that Ripp was permanently disabled. A judge of workers’ compensation entered an order in January 2021 approving a settlement of $365,100....