Joel Friedman

Joel F Friedman has been representing Social Security disability, Arizona workers' compensation, and ERISA long term disability (LTD) claimants since 1982. Joel has been a frequent speaker at national Social Security and State Bar of Arizona conferences on a variety of subjects, including psychological disabilities, head injuries, and how Social Security, workers' compensation, LTD, and Medicare benefits work together. He also is a licensed soccer referee.

• Workers' Compensation
• Social Security Disability

• Public Benefits

• Free Consultation
  I am available to review medical and case documents, at no charge, to decide what services I may be able to offer, and what fees would be charged. I will then schedule a telehone or in-person meeting to review your case
• Contingent Fees
  I am able to take most Arizona work injury and long term disability (LTD) benefits claims on contingencies, so there is no charge for my time until and unless there is a recovery. Legal and case expenses must be reimbursed regardless of the result, pursuant to the Arizona Rules of Professional Conduct. Social Security case fees are regulated and generally administered by the Social Security Administration
• Rates, Retainers and Additional Information
  Fees are dependent on the specific nature of your case, and where you are in the process. I may be able to offer discounted fees to police and fire department employees, union workers, and veterans applying for Arizona work injury and Social Security disability benefits

Arizona

Counsel

Cruz & Associates, PC

2016 - Current

ATTORNEY

JOEL F FRIEDMAN, PLLC

2011 - Current

New law office after 28 years with firm of Jerome, Gibson, Stewart

Attorney-shareholder

Jerome, Gibson, Stewart, Friedman, Stevenson, Engle, & Runbeck, PC

1982 - 2011

Villanova University School of Law

J.D.

1979 - 1982

Franklin & Marshall College

B.A. | Business Management

1973 - 1977

Activities: Chi Phi Fraternity 1974 - 1977 Men's Soccer 1973 - 1974

State University of New York - College at New Paltz

Literature

1977 - 1979

Arizona State Bar

Member

Current

Arizona Association for Justice (Arizona Trial Lawyers)

Member

2006 - Current

National Organization of Social Security Claimants' Representatives (NOSSCR)

Member

1985 - 2014

Activities: Council of Past Presidents 2002 - present President 2001 - 2002 Advocacy Committee Chair

Certified specialist in workers' compensation law

State Bar of Arizona Board of Legal Specialization

Q. Does my employer have a legal right to attend my workman's comp. Dr's appointment?

21 March 2019

A: No, your employer is not permitted to attend your actual medical appointments. The insurance company can hire a nurse case manager to help coordinate medical care but even that person does not have to be allowed in the room with you and your doctor(s). Feel free to call, no charge, to review more specifics. 602-687-9211 office

Q. What can a provider do if a carrier does not pay the claim correctly. A pymnt dispute has been submitted 3x.

16 January 2019

A: There is some question if the ICA has jurisdiction over disputes between carriers and providers. If you e-mail me at jfriedman@cruzfirm.com I will give you contact information for a couple of local attorneys who may be able to help you. Please reference your Justia inquiry. Thank you

Q. Can employer require me to pay upfront for transportation to and from work?

27 December 2018

A: We typically have transportation provided for clients at the insurance company's expense - there are car services known to most if not all carriers. I do not have clients pay and wait for reimbursement, and it is the insurance company's responsibility, not your employer. There is no guarantee your job is secure regardless of how the travel question is resolved. You can contact me at jfriedman@cruzfirm.com or 602-687-9211 if you have other questions.

Q. I get benefits at my job but I'm a part-time worker. Am I still eligible for workers' comp benefits?

27 December 2018

A: You are eligible for workers' compensation benefits regardless of your full or part time status. The difference will be reflected in what is called your average monthly wage and the amount of your benefits payments when you are off work or miss enough time to qualify for wage loss payments. Please feel free to call me at 602-687-9211 if you have other questions. Thank you

Q. If an employee sustains an injury while on the job can they chose not to file it with workers compensation?

5 December 2018

A: The injured worker is not required to file a workers' compensation (WC) claim, and the employer does not have the authority to do so on the worker's behalf. There is no additional liability for the employer if no claim is filed, and the worker actually has up to one year from the date of the accident or knowledge of the injury to file a WC claim, so there is some uncertainty during that period of time. The worker should simply be informed that Arizona WC law recognizes aggravation injuries, when an accident or work activity worsens a pre-existing medical condition. The worker is entitled to medical and wage loss-disability benefits during any period of time that the aggravation continues and, depending on the nature of the pre-existing medical condition and the severity of the injury, that aggravation and benefits entitlement may be permanent. We do not typically represent employers, but we are available to provide consultation and advice, at an hourly attorney fee. Please feel free to contact me at 602-687-9211 or jfriedman@cruzfirm.com, or contact your WC insurance company, for more information. Thank you

Q. I had a work related injury and the work compensation lady said they wont pay me my first week off , is dat true ? phx

29 November 2018

A: This is only partly true, if you missed less than one week of work. If you are off work less than 2 weeks, you get paid only for the days after week 1, and if you are off work or on limited duty and not earning your regular wages for more than 2 weeks, you will be aid back to day 1. feel free to contact me directly at jfriedman@cruzfirm.com or at 602-492-5331. thank you

Q. My coworker rear-ended my car in our company's parking lot and it hurt my back. Can I get workers' comp benefits?

20 November 2018

A: The short answer is - it depends. There are some situations when you are covered for WC benefits in a company parking lot. I would need to know if you were getting to or leaving work and exactly where in the parking lot the accident occurred. There also are likely to be questions about how fast the cars were moving and how bad the impact was, factors in determining how bad your injury is likely to be. You can each me at 602-687-9211 if you would like to discuss your case with me directly. Thank you

Q. If i got hurt at work 3/9/2018 and got on workers comp since 3/13/2018 then why am i not getting paid until 4/19/2018

20 November 2018

A: Thank you for contacting me about your work injury. There is no,legal requirement for a drug test and failure of your co-workers or supervisors to follow some company procedure also does not affect your right to benefits. I'm not familiar with a medical facility named "fasmat" and depending on where you worked at the time of the injury, you generally have a right to choose your own doctor. There are a limited number of employers who have a right to direct your medical care, but you can go where you want for treatment if you don't work at one of those companies. You can go to any specialist you prefer, and you don't have to wait for a referral because the doctor has already told you that you need a new doctor - a specialist. You can ask your PCP, if you have one, for a recommendation, and a lawyer would be able to refer you if you decide to hire legal counsel. A fracture of the talus bone may be serious, or it may not, depending on how you were injured and exactly what that means, fracture (for example, a twisting injury may have resulted in what's called an avulsion fracture, which will definitely hurt but may also heal on it's own after a period of time that you are not fully weight-bearing). The time you will be off work also depends on what job you have and its physical demands. Your payments for time off work depend on your work status - no work or light work. No work you get paid every 14 days, light work every 30 days. If you have any earned income during those periods of time there will be an offset against your WC benefits. You may feel free to call me Monday after 10:00 a.m. at 602-492-5331. Thank you

Q. I got fired after filling work injury, the reson i got fire was because i didnt get approved to work with a member.

3 October 2018

A: Thank you for your question. I am not sure I understand the issue, you can each me after 9:00 a.m. this morning at 602-492-5331 so we can review the specifics of your situation. Thanks again