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Paterson pays out $1.75 million in workers compensation claims | Paterson Times

Paterson pays out $1.75 million in workers compensation claims

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The city settled 34 separate workers compensation cases on Tuesday night paying out $1,758,557, according to city officials.

Three largest cases in the batch involved firefighters and police officers. The largest claim approved went to firefighter Michael Barr received $154,800 for allegedly injuring his left hand, left elbow, and neck while pulling a hose at a fire scene on November 14th, 2009, according to city records.

The second largest claim of $138,223 was paid out to police officer Edgar Torres for allegedly injuring his left shoulder, right knee, back, and neck when his vehicle struck a wall on September 19th, 2010. He also allegedly injured his hand when a prisoner attacked and assaulted on June 1st, 2013, according to city records.

The third largest claim in the amount of $118,229 was paid out to police officer Luis Torres, who allegedly sustained injuries to his left arm and left shoulder while arresting a suspect on June 22nd, 2014. He also allegedly injured his lower back and left hip while arresting a suspect on March 15th, 2015, according to city records.

The rest of the claims paid out were as follows:

  • $97,200 paid out to deputy court administrator Sheila Fitzpatrick, who allegedly injured her right shoulder when a file cabinet rolled back and pinned her right shoulder and arm against another cabinet at the Paterson Municipal Court on April 30th, 2012, according to city records.
  • $96,154 went to police officer Peter Iuarto for allegedly sustaining injuries in three different incidents. On October 27th, 2008, his motorcycle was stuck by a car injuring his right knee, hip, and back; on September 9th, 2008, he was injured trying to approach a bus obstructing traffic – the bus started and pulled off clipping his right hand, according to city records. On June 16th, 2012, he was involved in an accident while on his motorcucle injuring his right leg, left hip, right shoulder, and right arm.
  • $95,400 was paid out public works park caretaker Paul Hinton for alleged back injuries he suffered on August 17th, 2010 while lifting a garbage container on Lafayette Street, according to city records.
  • $87,192 was paid to public works employee Jesus Diaz. He was allegedly injured on February 25th, 2014 lifting boxes and tables, according to city records. He sustained injures to his neck, left arm, back, and right shoulder.
  • $85,515 was paid to emergency medical technician Andrezej Cynarski, who allegedly injured his lower back while lifting a patient on April 2nd, 2011.
  • $73,916 was paid out to Edwin Rivera, a mechanic for the police motor pool, for three separate alleged incidents. On November 16, 2005, he allegedly injured his left and right legs when a vehicle rear-ended him while he was trying to jump start a car; on August 24th, 2008, he injured his right shoulder while lifting a vehicle battery with his right arm; and on May 14th, 2013, he injured his wrist closing the hood of a vehicle, according to city records.
  • $59,775 was paid out to Craig DeCando, a carpenter for public works, who allegedly injured his lumbar spine on June 9th, 2014, when he slipped and fell off a ladder.
  • $53,528 was paid to firefighter Louie Roman, who allegedly fell on ice while fighting a fire on February 6th, 2014 injuring his right knee and lower back.
  • $49,554 was paid to Kerry Tyler who allegedly suffered a thoracic sprain while struggling with a dog in a kennel cage on April 15, 2014, according to city records.
  • $48,564 was paid to public works employee Kenneth Drummer, who allegedly injured himself on May 4th, 2013 when he was sweeping the road and was hit by a car – he sustained injuries to his back, neck, right shoulder, right arm, and bilateral knees, according to city records.
  • $46,329 was paid to firefighter Israel Rosa for two separate incidents. He allegedly injured his lower back carrying a heavy patient down the stairs on February 2nd, 2014. The second time he injured his left bicep, shoulder, elbow, and left side while lifting a patient in a stair chair on April 21, 2014.
  • $39,945 was paid out to public works truck driver Thomas Pappas. He allegedly seriously injured himself when he fell at a location where a ramp had been removed on June 7th, 2010. He allegedly re-injured his neck and back and claimed neuro-psychiatric disabilities while getting into a truck on February 8th, 2011.
  • $38,430 was paid to public works labor Bradley Sermond, who injured his right shoulder while throwing cans into a truck on August 28th, 2013.
  • $37,644 was paid to police officer Scott Knick for alleged injuries he sustained on February 15th, 2013 while making an arrest. He injured his left shoulder and right hand at 110 12th Avenue, according to city records.
  • $37,644 was paid to Edwin Hernandez, a parks laborer at public works, who fell on ice while walking to open a garage door injuring his left side, back, and left arm on December 17th, 2013, according to city records.
  • $37,553 was paid to crossing guard Aida DeJesus, who was struck by a vehicle as she crossed a child and mother, allegedly sustaining injuries to her head, left and right legs on September 17th, 2013, according to city records.
  • $32,811 was paid out to firefighter Ricky Toledo for alleged injuries he sustained to his right shoulder while climbing through a window on December 12th, 2013 at 185 Carroll Street.
  • $32,226 was paid to firefighter Alexis Perez. He allegedly injured his back while working at a fire scene on July 28th, 2012, according to city records.
  • $29,500 was paid to driver Pedro Pagan, who allegedly suffered back injuries from a car accident that occurred on September 18th, 2009.
  • $28,380 was paid out to truck driver Sampson Lockhart, who was involved in a car accident on November 22nd, 2013, that left him with injured shoulders, upper, and lower back.
  • $25,617 was paid to public works laborer Eugene Miller for injuries he allegedly suffered on July 2nd, 2014 when his garbage truck was struck from behind by an SUV. He injured his neck and back, according to city records.
  • $25,236 was paid to mason helper Michael McKoy, who allegedly injured his back while helping a truck driver back up when the vehicle side-swiped him as he was at the gas pump on February 6th, 2015, according to city records.
  • $25,236 was paid out to Sherissa Mann, a police dispatcher, whose chair broke while she was sitting, injuring her lumbar spine, left hip, and left buttock on January 27th, 2015.
  • $23,944 was paid to police officer Lillian Sanchez for alleged injuries to her left arm, left shoulder, back, and neck that she sustained in a car accident on Memorial Drive and Main Street on December 17th, 2012, according to city records.
  • $23,862 was paid to laborer Darren Sumblin for injuries he allegedly suffered in two incidents. He injured his left side and neck on Sept. 13, 2011 while working as a garbage collector on Madison Avenue. He slipped on steel steps while exiting a garbage truck that caught on fire on Hamilton Avenue and Rosa Parks Boulevard on Jan. 29, 2014.
  • $21,500 was paid to firefighter Jerome Hunter, who allegedly injured his right knee and right leg when he fell from a fire apparatus on May 20th, 2014.
  • $20,656 was paid out to payroll employee Linda Scott, who allegedly injured her neck, right shoulder, and lower back when she bent to pick up a file and pain overtook her on Sept. 30th, 2013, according to city records.
  • $20,250 was paid to police officer Alonzo Bermudez who injured his left shoulder when he pulled himself out of his patrol car with his left arm on Oct. 4, 2014, according to city records.
  • $19,400 was paid to Nathaniel Poindexter, a public works laborer, who injured his bilateral knees while riding a recycling vehicle on May 3rd, 2013.
  • $18,144 was paid out to public works employee Terry Tisder, who injured his back lifting a dresser to throw onto a truck on Feb. 27, 2012, according to city records.
  • $16,200 was paid to firefighter Robert Poloniak, who injured his neck, back, right hand, and left shoulder when he was struck by a collapsing ceiling at a fire scene on March 16th, 2012, according to city records.

Council members approved the 34 settlements during a special meeting on Tuesday night, according to the City Clerk’s Office.

  • Yogi Zuna

    Paterson is well known as a "cash cow" in my honest opinion, and I see no way for this sad situation to improve in the future.

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