Philadelphia Workers Compensation Lawyers

Rooting out the graft | Philadelphia Inquirer | 2011-07-24

Sixty years ago, Philadelphia voters hungry for reform approved a new City Charter. Its language on city workers' accepting cash gratuities or other thank-you gifts was rather clear.

"No officer or employee of the city and no officer or employee whose salary . . . is paid out of the city treasury shall solicit or accept any compensation or gratuity in the form of money or otherwise for any act or omission in the course of his public work," the charter says.

In case anyone missed the message, the drafters added this note: "Public officers and employees are compensated with public funds to perform the task for which they were elected, appointed, or employed. Their holding office or employment presupposes their faithful discharge of all their duties without more."

Nonetheless, the message was missed - by a long parade of the mighty and the meek, from judges and tax collectors to trash-truck drivers pounding their horns for tips as they cruised neighborhoods at Christmastime, and building inspectors accepting cash as they completed routine inspections.

The latest example, disclosed Wednesday by the city inspector general: A top official in the Division of Technology, Joseph James Sr., was fired from his $124,800-a-year job for allegedly accepting dozens of meals from Verizon and other city contractors, violating executive orders from Mayor Nutter and his predecessor, John F. Street - not to mention the charter.

Perhaps more seriously, and subject to criminal investigation, James and a colleague in the Public Property Department, Francis Punzo, secretly created a Verizon rewards account (based on the city's $12-million-or-so business with the firm), allowing them to obtain $48,000 worth of gifts, Inspector General Amy Kurland alleged.

James and Punzo, the latter having quit the city in 2009 to rejoin Verizon, where he'd worked before, were respected within the bureaucracy. "I thought they worked very hard and knew what they were talking about," said City Councilman Frank Rizzo, who has paid close attention to the radio system used by the Police and Fire Departments. "Knowing both these men, you couldn't buy them for a dinner, or four or five or six."

Yet they join the list of city workers who have lost their jobs, damaged their reputations, thrown away their pensions, or gone to jail - many over sums so small as to not even cover their lawyer bills.

Philadelphia Worker's Compensation Lawyer | hdz-smz.com

If you have been injured on the job, you may be in extreme pain and discomfort. You may also not be able to return to work. You need to call philadelphia workers compensation lawyer so that you can find a support system, as you embark on this legal endeavor.

You have so much to work on with a worker’s compensation case. You have to decide if you are going to file this case without an attorney. If you have a lot of surgeries on your calendar, and are still in physical therapy, you have no energy left. You can not go at this alone. You will have to make sure you have the people in your corner that know worker’s compensation law. As the law in that area is very in depth, you can not attempt to review your case alone. You want to protect any settlement you may have coming.

Therefore, have faith in hiring a worker’s compensation attorney for your case.

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