Richard J. Marcolus - Belford, NJ

Overview

Rich Marcolus is a workers' compensation and employment law advocate with over 20 years experience. He is a Certified Workers' Compensation lawyer and is licensed in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.

He is a member of the NRCC Carpenters Local #253 Union. It was while working as a carpenter watching abuses by employers and insurance companies that he decided to become a workers compensation/employment/personal injury attorney.

He paid for his education by working as a carpenter while attending Seton Hall University. He graduated with a B.A. from there in 1982 with Honors. He then laid down his tools, and in 1985 he received his law degree from Villanova University.

Although he laid down his tools for good in 1985 he still remembers what it was like to do a real days work. It is with these memories that he aggressively advocates for injured workers who are mistreated, abused, neglected and often fired after getting hurt on the job.

Rich was a member of the Henry Hudson Board of Education from 2001'2004; he was on the Atlantic Highlands Planning Board from 2006-2008; he is currently active in the Monmouth County SPCA; and currently, he is the President of COSH, a public-interest group that monitors the workers compensation system to protect injured workers. COSH was instrumental in the passage of new laws that gave Judges enforcement powers against any party that has flouted a court order.

Rich has handled every type of compensation case from falls from scaffolding to lifting injuries. He has handled occupational claims such as pulmonary disease cases, heart attack and stroke cases, psychiatric cases due to stress, harassment and discrimination, repetitive trauma cases like carpal tunnel syndrome, cancer and organ disease cases due to chemical, mold and toxic substances and many other work-related conditions including death cases. Over 20 years he has handled thousands of cases and has had hundreds of trials.

Rich also handles motor vehicle accidents, fall downs, malpractice and liability cases. His specialty is handling construction site cases where his construction and union background gives him a working knowledge of how construction accidents happen and why.

Rich handles employment cases dealing with family and medical leave issues, sexual harassment, gender, age, race, disability and other forms of discrimination and CEPA (whistleblower) cases. He also handles ordinary and accident disability pension hearings and social security disability claims. Rich also handles municipal court matters.

Rich is currently working with the New Jersey Attorney General's office on an investigation of fraudulent exams being conducted by a New Jersey compensation doctor on behalf of insurance companies. Rich was able to expose the fraudulent exams through trial and later convinced the Attorney General's office to investigate the wrongdoing. He is anxiously awaiting their investigation in hopes that it will curtail future attempts by doctors to lie for insurance companies.

Rich has become the chair of the New Jersey Advisory Council on Safety and Health. This organization of doctors, unions and lawyers was founded to protect and increase benefits for injured workers. Rich recently testified before the N.J. Senate concerning a bill that would increase benefits for hand and foot injuries.

Check out the April 2006, 2008 and 2009 monthly NJ Magazine. Rich was named a Super Lawyer by a blue ribbon panel of lawyers, judges and legal experts.

Certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a Workers Compensation Attorney.