Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Appeal Board Hearings Transition to Hybrid In-person and “Hot Bench” Proceedings

Harrisburg, PA – As the Commonwealth begins to return to normalcy from the COVID-19 pandemic, new regulations will implement the most significant changes to the Workers’ Compensation Appeal Board in fifty years. Beginning in March 2022, the Board will transition to a hybrid system to conduct oral arguments. The Board will resume regional in-person proceedings, supplemented by a virtual hearing schedule applicable statewide. Attorneys and litigants will now have the option to conduct a Board hearing remotely or in person. The 2022 schedule for in-person and virtual Board hearings is available here.

Additionally, beginning in July 2022, briefs to the Board must now include a section dedicated to a summary of the argument, limited to one page. The Board will also hear oral argument at the close of the briefing schedule, rather than the due date of the Petitioner’s Brief. The Board will also transition to a “hot bench,” which means that the commissioners may engage in verbal exchanges and interjections during the presentation or rebuttal of each party.

Any questions about these updates can be directed at John T. Morgan, Jr., Esq. at jmorgan@tthlaw.com or 267-861-7580 x 8502.