Essex County

Whether you are bringing a workers' compensation claim or purchasing real estate, a lot rides on the decisions you make. For many people, buying a home is one of the biggest transactions of their lives. Similarly, for people who have become disabled on the job, a workers' compensation claim can mean the difference between being able to buy groceries and contribute to a mortgage or being homeless. Accordingly, it is crucial to retain an experienced attorney to fight for your interests. At Pulgini & Norton, our Essex County workers' compensation lawyers and real estate attorneys can guide you through the decisions you need to make to protect your interests in these critical situations.

If a workers’ compensation insurer denies your claim, it will need to tell you the reason for the denial. You should not assume that the denial is valid simply because it comes from an insurer. Many legitimate claims are denied for inappropriate reasons. Among the most common reasons that claims are denied are pre-existing conditions in the workers making claims. However, this alone is not a reason to deny your claim. If a work injury is a major contributing cause to your disability or an aggravation of your disability, you can still recover benefits. The work portion of the injury need not be predominant in order for you to receive benefits.

You will need to go through four stages at the Department of Industrial Accidents (DIA) to contest an insurer's denial. The first two steps are informal, while the latter two are formal. You must exhaust your administrative remedies before moving on to challenge the decision of an administrative law judge at the DIA. Once your administrative remedies are exhausted, you can ask the Court of Appeal to review the case. However, you should retain an attorney before you get to this stage. In most cases, the Court of Appeal will not disturb an administrative judge's decision unless that decision is in error as a matter of law or it is lacking support from the evidence.

When you buy land, it is important to retain an experienced attorney to conduct a title examination. While not every cloud on real estate title is found during a title examination, it does minimize the risk that you will eventually be confronted with a hostile claim from a third party related to your home. These claims, when they arise, can be very stressful and hostile, and they can even result in a person losing his or her home.

Some of the issues that may be uncovered by an appropriate title examination are easements, liens, and breaks in the chain of ownership. Most important decisions taken with respect to real estate are recorded at the Registry of Deeds in the county where the real property is located.

Essex County is the third-most populated county in Massachusetts. If you are bringing a claim for benefits or buying a home there, it can make a big difference to have representation from an Essex County real estate attorney or workers’ compensation lawyer. Call Pulgini & Norton at 781-843-2200 or contact us via our online form to set up a free consultation.