Joel Friedman

Joel F Friedman has been representing injured workers in claims for Arizona workers' compensation benefits for about 35 years, and he was certified as a specialist in workers' compensation law from October 1993 - February 2021. He continues to specialize in work injuries; he accepts complex cases other lawyers often won't take (like work stress, carpal tunnel syndrome, and gradual - repetitive work injuries); and he has been a frequent speaker at national Social Security and State Bar of Arizona conferences on a variety of subjects, including psychological - neuropsychological evaluations, traumatic brain injuries (TBI), cardiac and cardiovascular disorders, and Medicare benefits. Joel hikes the Arizona deserts, travels wherever the wind takes him, and in a past life was a licensed soccer referee

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

ATTORNEY

JOEL F FRIEDMAN, PLLC

2011 - Current

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

Director, Arizona Workers' Compensation Division

Cruz & Associates, PC

2016 - 2019

I managed the work injury section of the Phoenix Cruz office. I supervised an associate attorney and 3 paralegals, including for administrative claims and court cases at the Industrial Commission of Arizona

Attorney-shareholder

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

1982 - 2011

Certified specialist in workers' compensation law

State Bar of Arizona Board of Legal Specialization

1993

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

Arizona

9th Circuit

U.S. Supreme Court

US District Court - Arizona

• 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 telephone or in-person meeting to review your case
• Contingent Fees
  I am able to take most Arizona work injury 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. Medicare Set Aside (MSA) case contracts depend on the specifics
• 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.

Workers' Compensation

• Medicare Set Aside (MSA) trusts

Q. What is the penalty, if any, in AZ for failure to abide by a judicially approved stipulation in a work comp case?

4 October 2021

A: Thank you for your inquiry. There is no automatic right to the same medical benefits permanently and there is no automatic penalty. if benefits are being denied the first option is to request a hearing investigation under ARS 23 1061J. The industrial commission will send a notice to the insurance company, which will have an opportunity to explain why the benefits are not being covered. The insurance company may have a medical opinion that the medical equipment is no longer necessary but it would be unusual for them to get away saying it is not necessary from the work injury if there was an agreement earlier that it was. Unusual and not impossible. If there is no resolution the industrial commission will schedule a hearing and take testimony from the injured worker and the healthcare providers, including the doctor who ordered the equipment and any doctor who disagrees with that order. This also may be an opportunity to settle out future medical benefits and how that happens will depend on many many factors including the age of the injured worker, the actual nature and extent of the injuries, and if the worker is now eligible for Medicare. The issue is eligibility and not actual enrollment in Medicare so again it gets very complicated. The injured worker should contact a lawyer, especially if they had one before for the case.

Q. My name is Danielle. I have a question about unemployment and needing representation for an appeal.

16 August 2021

A: I wanted to let you know your question was posted to a workers' compensation website, very different than unemployment benefits (UIB). I personally do not have an answer about your pandemic benefits claim and I don't know if you are eligible for some UIB payment even without having worked in many years - you may be thinking of the personal payment. I am not able to give you an answer, I am not aware of attorneys who accept unemployment or general pandemic benefits claims in Arizona, and you may want to resubmit your question more specifically about employment law if there is not a category for UIB.

Q. I’m a teacher, and the administration gave out my number to a student without my permission. What should I do?

3 May 2021

A: My practice is limited work injury cases, a specific part of employment law. Your concern appears to be an issue of employment privacy and it is not something I am able to provide advice. I suggest you look for an attorney whose practice is more directly employment law, if you do not hear back here. You can contact me directly and I may be able to send you a referral, but no guarantee.

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