Massachusetts provides partial incapacity benefits under M.G.L. c. 152, §35 for injured workers who can work in some capacity but have reduced earning ability due to the injury. Section 35 sets out the core formula: the insurer pays weekly compensation equal to 60% of the difference between your pre-injury average weekly wage and the weekly wage you are capable of earning after the injury, with a cap tied to total incapacity benefits.

Understanding that formula is important. But in practice, most Section 35 fights aren’t about the formula itself. They’re about the inputs: what your average weekly wage really is, what work you’re medically allowed to do, and what wages you can realistically earn in the open labor market with your restrictions.

The post Light Duty and Partial Benefits in Massachusetts (Section 35): How Insurers Cut Checks in 2026 and How to Push Back appeared first on Massachusetts Workers Compensation Lawyers Blog.

This guide explains the 2025–2026 Massachusetts workers’ comp weekly benefit limits, how they connect to your date of injury, and what to do if you think your checks are wrong. If you need help quickly, Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers can review your situation and explain your options.

The 2025–2026 Massachusetts Workers’ Comp Weekly Max and Min

The post 2025–2026 Massachusetts Workers’ Comp Weekly Benefit Limits, What the Max and Min Mean for Your Checks appeared first on Massachusetts Workers Compensation Lawyers Blog.

The holiday season is when Massachusetts warehouses, fulfillment centers, and retail back rooms run at full throttle. Conveyor lines speed up, forklifts weave through narrow aisles, floors get slick as snow melts off boots, and new hires race to keep up with experienced crews. If you were injured as a seasonal or temp worker, you may wonder whether you are covered and what to do next. The answer is that most seasonal employees are covered from day one, and the steps you take immediately after an injury can stabilize both your health and your claim.

What Workers’ Comp Covers And Why Fault Does Not Matter

The post Seasonal Hires & Warehouse Surges: What Temp Workers Need to Know appeared first on Massachusetts Workers Compensation Lawyers Blog.

September brought a mix of hard safety reminders on local job sites, meaningful tweaks in federal rule-making, and a settlement trend that will change how insurers handle Medicare Set-Asides. Below, we cover what happened, why it matters for injured workers and families in Massachusetts, and how employers and insurers are likely to respond.

Massachusetts headlines you should know

The post Workers’ Compensation & Job-Site Injury News in Massachusetts and the USA appeared first on Massachusetts Workers Compensation Lawyers Blog.

Why these months matter

Late summer is when several agencies lock in decisions that ripple into fall renewals, holiday-season settlements, and next year’s budgets. In the last few weeks, federal guidance has tightened expectations around Medicare Set-Asides in compensation cases, multiple states have adjusted billing and documentation rules, and rate or guideline decisions have been made that will influence both premiums and medical utilization in the months ahead. If you are an injured worker navigating a claim or a business planning for 2026 costs, the changes below are not academic; they are practical and immediate.

The post Workers’ Compensation Roundup: What Changed in August–September 2025 (Nationwide) appeared first on Massachusetts Workers Compensation Lawyers Blog.

In 2025, Massachusetts is expected to implement several significant updates that may impact the cost of coverage, the reimbursement process for specific claims, and the regulation of workplace safety, particularly in the healthcare sector. Here’s what you need to know.

If you experience a workplace injury, navigating these new regulations can be challenging. Consulting a skilled workers’ compensation lawyer can help ensure your rights are protected and that you receive the benefits you’re entitled to under the updated Massachusetts laws.

The post What Employers and Injured Workers Need to Know in July 2025 appeared first on Massachusetts Workers Compensation Lawyers Blog.

At Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers, our workers’ compensation team closely monitors every change to the Commonwealth’s workers’ compensation system, as it directly impacts the benefits our injured clients rely on. On May 15, 2025, Massachusetts Insurance Commissioner Michael Caljouw rejected a proposal from the Workers’ Compensation Rating and Inspection Bureau of Massachusetts (WCRIBMA) that would have raised average workers’ comp premiums by 7.1 percent beginning July 1, 2025. The ruling maintains current rates and is projected to save Massachusetts businesses nearly $80 million in the coming year. 

A Quick Look at the Decision

The post Massachusetts Holds the Line on Workers’ Compensation Costs appeared first on Massachusetts Workers Compensation Lawyers Blog.

Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) Updates

• Contribution Rates: For employers with 25 or more employees, the total contribution rate remains at 0.88% of eligible wages. This rate is divided between employee payroll withholdings and employer contributions. Employers with fewer than 25 employees must remit contributions at 0.46% of eligible wages.

The post Massachusetts Updates PFML, UI and Workers’ Compensation for 2025 appeared first on Massachusetts Workers Compensation Lawyers Blog.

Does My Employer Decide My Workers’ Compensation?

The first step you must take following a workplace injury is to notify your employer. Since your employer and their insurance initially rule your workers’ compensation application, they could refuse to move it forward for the following reasons:

The post Common Reasons Workers’ Compensation Could be Denied appeared first on Massachusetts Workers Compensation Lawyers Blog.