Adams v. New York Giants

Adams v. New York Giants: Missing the Deadline for Workers' Compensation

This case involved a worker named Adams who tried to file a workers' compensation claim against the New York Giants football team. Adams waited too long to submit the required paperwork for his claim.

Under New Jersey law, injured workers must file their workers' compensation claims within two years of their workplace injury. Adams missed this deadline, so the state Workers' Compensation Division rejected his claim entirely. When Adams appealed this decision to a higher court, the judges upheld the rejection, agreeing that the time limit had passed and they had no authority to hear the case.

What This Means for Workers:

This ruling highlights a critical rule that all workers need to understand: there are strict deadlines for filing workers' compensation claims. In New Jersey, you typically have only two years from the date of your injury to file your claim. Missing this deadline can result in losing your right to compensation entirely, regardless of how valid your injury claim might be. Workers should file their claims as soon as possible after a workplace injury and shouldn't wait until the deadline approaches, as courts generally cannot make exceptions for late filings.