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Joel Friedman

Joel Friedman

I can help with your work injury claim _ no cost consultation, flexible fees
  • Workers' Compensation
  • Arizona
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Biography

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, State Bar of Arizona, Arizona Trial Lawyers (Arizona Association for Justice), and private organizers, 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 where the wind takes him (currently working with small organizations and starting an Arizona non-profit corporation to support women and girls in the Democratic Republic of Congo), and in a past life was a licensed soccer referee

Practice Area
    Workers' Compensation
Additional Practice Area
  • Medicare Set Aside (MSA) trusts
Fees
  • 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.
Jurisdictions Admitted to Practice
Arizona
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9th Circuit
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U.S. Supreme Court
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US District Court - Arizona
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Languages
  • Spanish: Written
Professional Experience
ATTORNEY
JOEL F FRIEDMAN, PLLC
- Current
New law office after 28 years with firm of Jerome, Gibson, Stewart
Director, Arizona Workers' Compensation Division
Cruz & Associates, PC
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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
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Education
Villanova University School of Law
J.D.
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Villanova University School of Law Logo
Franklin & Marshall College
B.A. | Business Management
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Activities: Chi Phi Fraternity 1974 - 1977 Men's Soccer 1973 - 1974
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State University of New York - College at New Paltz
Literature
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Awards
Outstanding New Attorney Volunteer
Arizona State University Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law
For contributions to offering pro bono legal services to the Valley's homeless community
Professional Associations
Arizona State Bar
Member
Current
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Arizona Association for Justice (Arizona Trial Lawyers)
Member
- Current
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National Organization of Social Security Claimants' Representatives (NOSSCR)
Member
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Activities: Council of Past Presidents 2002 - present President 2001 - 2002 Advocacy Committee Chair
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Certifications
Certified specialist in workers' compensation law
State Bar of Arizona Board of Legal Specialization
Websites & Blogs
Website
Legal Answers
88 Questions Answered
Q. Do we need a workman comp attorney?
A: First, I am sorry to hear about your father and hopefully he will recover. Second, you have a choice of filing a workers' compensation (WC) claim in either New Mexico or Arizona, and I do not know the difference between benefits available for the two states because my practice is only in Arizona. It seems Arizona would be better logistically because it's easier for whoever is going to be managing the claim for your father to be in the same state where he lives and where he will presumably continue getting medical care. The charges for treatment in New Mexico and taxes will [should] be covered regardless of where the WC claim is filed. The insurance company, and it's not clear if that was for a New Mexico or Arizona claim, is correct that a guardian ad litem needs to be appointed as quickly as possible. That can be done through the Industrial Commission of Arizona (ICA), either online or someone can go in person to the Commission office at 800 W. Washington St., Phoenix, AZ 85007. There is a claims desk in the back of the building on the first floor, and they can help with the application. I will try to put the link to the application here, but I'm not sure if the app will allow it and if it doesn't go through, the main website is AZICA.GoV.

https://azica.my.salesforce-sites.com/forms/WebformGuardianIncapacitated_VF

You also need to make sure a claim actually has been filed, and you can find that out by contacting the ICA at 602-542-4661, although without legal authority they may be reluctant to provide that information. The main question, again, is if and where a claim has already been filed and, if not, if it's better in New Mexico or Arizona. WC attorneys in Arizona generally charge a percentage of benefits eventually paid to or for the injured worker, and you should check with different attorneys-law firms to find out what that percentage will be and their experience with this type of catastrophic claim.
... Read More
Q. Arizona is a right to work state but how far does that extend can anything be done to protect my dad’s job
A: Your question hopefully will be answered by an employment law attorney, because it is not a workers' compensation issue unless your father's hip problems are the result of a work injury (accident or repetitive activities). I am not an employment lawyer but I generally tell my work injury clients to contact their employer's HR department immediately and, if the employer is not a small company (I believe less than 50 employees total in a 75 mile radius), to ask ask to file for unpaid leave under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) or under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). It's my understanding both of those programs can qualify him for time off from work and give him some protections to keep his job if and when he is able to go back. His employer should have told him about that already if he has not already used up those options. He will need a medical certification to qualify for either FMLA or ADA leave. ... Read More
Q. Can I receive a lump sum?
A: YOUR QUESTION: My husband died while on the job in the 80s while working in Freeport in az. Am I able to receive a lump sum? I was never given the option. I only receive $67 a month. How would I go about asking and receiving. Would this also affect my social security.

ANSWER: Your widow's (technically death) benefits from Arizona workers' compensation (WC) have no effect on your Social Security benefits, especially if you are receiving old age (over full retirement age of 65-67 depending on your birth year) survivor's or retirement benefits. There is no legal right to a lump sum payment of Arizona WC widow's benefits unless you have remarried, in which case it's mandatory. You can always ask the company paying your WC widow's benefits (I'm suspecting your husband was working at Freeport-McMoran, a self-insured mining company), and you should expect the payout to be substantially discounted, not just the same monthly payment over your life expectancy (which is set generally by the US government or Industrial Commission of Arizona). You will also need to find out if the benefits you receive now are from an annuity purchased as a substitute for your widow's WC benefits, because that would very likely complicate if not preclude a lump sum settlement. Arizona WC is very different from California and Nevada, so the answers you got from the other lawyers are mostly wrong (like the circumstances of your husband's death about 40 years ago, which has nothing to do with anything now) and very much incomplete. You should be able to find a qualified Arizona WC specialist lawyer to get answers to your questions ... Read More
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Social Media
Contact & Map
Joel F Friedman, Esq
P.O. Box 10037
Phoenix, AZ 85064
Cell: (602) 540-6366
Fax: (602) 777-3599
Monday: 8:30 AM - 6 PM
Tuesday: 8:30 AM - 6 PM
Wednesday: 8:30 AM - 6 PM
Thursday: 8:30 AM - 6 PM (Today)
Friday: 8:30 AM - 6 PM
Saturday: 10 AM - 4 PM
Sunday: Closed
Notice: I am available by telephone and email weekdays and most Saturdays. I answer calls and reply when I am not already on a project or in court. I prefer email or text messages to voice mail