Why Choosing the Right Workers’ Compensation Lawyer Matters
Four months after she hurt her back steering a stretcher through a hospital corridor off Clarkson Avenue in East Flatbush, a patient transport aide gets a note from her orthopedist: light duty, no lifting over 20 pounds. Her supervisor offers a desk assignment at 24 hours a week. She has no idea what happens to her checks, which is exactly the moment to call a workers’ compensation lawyer in Brooklyn. Meanwhile, a grocery stocker on Seventh Avenue in Park Slope returns from knee surgery to fewer shifts, and a building porter in Dumbo who filed a claim this spring sees his schedule cut the week he comes back.
Restricted work is common. In a release dated January 22, 2026, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 1.1 million private industry cases involving days of job transfer or restriction over the 2023 to 2024 period, alongside 1.8 million cases involving days away from work.
The return to work is where carriers often look to pay less. After a light-duty clearance, an insurer may argue that full wage benefits should stop, that a smaller paycheck reflects slow business rather than the injury, or that a worker who refused an offered position left the labor market. In Matter of Reese v Sysco Food Services-Albany (2017), the Appellate Division, Third Department, upheld denying reduced earnings to a worker who skipped a light-duty job his doctor had approved.
The right attorney can make the difference between:
- Reduced earnings benefits that cover part of a pay cut and a smaller paycheck the carrier treats as the worker’s own choice
- A light-duty offer checked against the doctor’s written restrictions and one accepted or refused with no record
- A partial disability rate built on the full pre-injury wage history and one that leaves out overtime or a second job
- A retaliation complaint filed inside the two-year window and a firing that is never challenged
- A weekly rate checked against the limit for the date of injury and one nobody verified
New York divides lost wages into categories. Under NY Workers’ Compensation Law §15(2), temporary total disability pays two-thirds of the average weekly wage, while §15(5) pays temporary partial disability at two-thirds of the gap between pre-injury wages and what the worker can earn afterward. For injuries on or after July 1, 2026, the Workers’ Compensation Board has set a new weekly maximum of $1,281.50. NY Workers’ Compensation Law §120 bars employers from retaliating against a worker for claiming benefits. The five firms below were chosen for their workers’ compensation focus, published records, and accessibility to Brooklyn workers heading back to the job.
July 2026 Rankings
| Rank | Law Firm | Lead Attorney | Client Satisfaction | Notable Settlements | Years Experience | Specialization Focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kucher Law Group | Samantha Kucher, Esq. | 99% | $50M+ Total Recovered (self-reported) | 15+ | Workers’ Compensation & Personal Injury |
| 2 | Pasternack Tilker Ziegler Walsh Stanton & Romano LLP | Not Stated | 97% | Not Stated | 90+ (firm stated) | Workers’ Compensation |
| 3 | The Perecman Firm | Not Stated | 95% | $500M+ Total Recovered (firm stated) | 40+ (firm stated) | Workers’ Compensation & Personal Injury |
| 4 | Rosenbaum Meier Personal Injury Lawyers | Not Stated | 94% | Multi-Million Recoveries (firm stated) | 40+ (firm stated) | Personal Injury & Workers’ Compensation |
| 5 | The Rothenberg Law Firm | Not Stated | 93% | Billions Recovered (firm stated) | 50+ (firm stated) | Personal Injury & Workers’ Compensation |
#1 Kucher Law Group
Why They’re #1: Going back to work can quietly shrink a claim, through a light-duty offer that pays less, a carrier that stops checks too early, or a supervisor who treats the claim as a mark against the worker. The Kucher Law Group workers’ compensation lawyers who guide New York City employees back to the job line up medical restrictions, pay records, and benefit categories so the return does not cost more than the injury already has.
Firm Overview
RRK Kucher Law Group PLLC was founded on December 10, 2019. Its 10 to 19 staff members work from a Brooklyn office on Pulaski Street in Bedford-Stuyvesant and a Manhattan office at 26 Broadway. By its own count, the firm has recovered more than $50 million for clients, including over $20 million in settlements, with a 99% success rate. Google reviewers rate it 4.99 out of 5 across 81 reviews.
Notable Case Results
These results come from the firm’s personal injury practice, not Board benefit decisions; it has published no workers’ compensation awards.
- $1,400,000 : Construction site fall down stairs
- $650,000 : Fall down building stairs, broken ankle
- $3,500,000 : Trip and fall on subway stairs (settled at trial)
- $525,000 : Slip and fall on an icy sidewalk (jury verdict)
Legal Team Excellence
Samantha Kucher leads the firm’s work with returning workers this month. Admitted to the New York bar in 2015, she earned her BA at NYU and her JD at New York Law School, and she grew up at the Milton Hershey School. Her recognitions include Super Lawyers Rising Star in 2020, the National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40, and NAOPIA honors in 2024 and 2025. Because Attorney Kucher speaks English, Russian, and Spanish, clients can describe their restrictions and any trouble with a supervisor in the language they know best.
Michael Roitman, the firm’s primary trial attorney, holds a BA from NYU and a JD from Cooley Law School and is admitted in the New York and New Jersey courts and in the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York. He was named to the Top 50 Personal Injury Settlements list for New York in 2023. Alex Rybakov, admitted in 2010 after NYU and Seton Hall, has been licensed for more than 15 years, with over a decade devoted exclusively to personal injury. Together, the partners bring courtroom habits to claims that do not end when a worker clocks back in.
What Sets Them Apart
- 24/7 Availability: A worker sent home early from a light-duty shift, or handed a termination notice at the end of the day, can reach the firm at any hour.
- No Upfront Fees / Contingency Only: The firm’s workers’ compensation page promises “No Win, No Fee,” consultations are free, and any fee in a compensation case also needs Board approval under NY Workers’ Compensation Law §24.
- Brooklyn Knowledge: From Pulaski Street, the team knows the hospitals, warehouses, and shops where many returning workers are employed.
- Personalized Service: Clients get plain answers about which benefit category applies when their hours or pay change.
- Return-to-Work Review: The team can compare a light-duty offer with the doctor’s written restrictions and the worker’s pay history before the worker decides how to respond.
Client Testimonials
This Google review comes from a personal injury client and does not describe a workers’ compensation claim, but it reflects how the firm explains a client’s rights.
“I was fortunate enough to be represented by Kucher Law Group for my personal injury case. I had no idea what my rights were, or if I even had any. Kucher Law Group educated me, sourced all the required documentation, and secured a settlement in a timely manner. Their team was very responsive, respectful and utmost professional. I highly recommend Kucher Law Group for anyone seeking a personal injury attorney.” Marina Chalik, Google Review
Why Choose Kucher Law Group
Returning to the job should be the hopeful part of a claim, yet benefits often shrink then. Kucher Law Group tracks the restrictions, paychecks, and deadlines that decide what a worker is still owed, and it treats signs of retaliation as a legal issue rather than an office quarrel. That attention to the back-to-work stage earns the firm first place in July.
Contact: (929) 563-6780 | 463 Pulaski St #1C, Brooklyn, NY 11221
#2 Pasternack Tilker Ziegler Walsh Stanton & Romano LLP
Why They Made Our List: Pasternack Tilker states that it has represented injured workers for more than 90 years, and it is one of two competitors in this ranking with a Brooklyn address. Its offices on Livingston Street near Borough Hall and on Flatbush Avenue keep it within reach for a worker balancing a new light-duty schedule with medical appointments.
Firm Overview
The firm builds its practice around injured employees, and its Brooklyn page is written directly for them. It lists the benefits a claim can carry: medical treatment, wage replacement of roughly two-thirds of the average weekly wage, permanent disability benefits, and death benefits for surviving families. That two-thirds figure is the starting point for both total and partial lost-time payments under New York law. The page displays a 4.7 out of 5 rating drawn from 464 reviews.
Notable Achievements / Case Results
The page we reviewed does not list dollar figures for individual workers’ compensation results, and it names no awards. Two client testimonials featured there describe long cases that closed with settlements, without stating amounts.
Lead Attorney / Team
The Brooklyn page speaks for the firm’s attorneys as a group and does not identify a lead lawyer. Workers who want to know who will handle their file can ask during the first call.
Service Approach
Pasternack Tilker’s page speaks directly to this month’s theme by telling workers that an employer may not retaliate against them for filing a claim. It also walks through the core sequence: report the injury within 30 days, file Form C-3 within two years, respond to the carrier, and appeal a denial. For a worker whose return falters and who may later apply for Social Security disability, the page explains that combined workers’ compensation and Social Security disability payments can be capped at 80% of pre-injury wages. Spanish speakers are welcome, and the firm states that clients pay nothing unless it wins.
Contact: 718-395-5056 | 180 Livingston Street, Suite 2, Brooklyn, NY 11201 (second office: 2053 Flatbush Ave, Floor 1, Brooklyn, NY 11234)
#3 The Perecman Firm
Why They Made Our List: The Perecman Firm reports more than half a billion dollars recovered for clients, the largest specific total published by any competitor in this ranking. Its workers’ compensation page also lays out the early timeline that determines when wage checks begin, long before anyone discusses a return to work.
Firm Overview
The firm cites more than 40 years of experience. It lists offices in New York, Long Island, and Queens and does not list one in Brooklyn, so Brooklyn workers should confirm where meetings would be held. Spanish and Polish versions of its site are available.
Notable Achievements / Case Results
- $500,000,000+ : Total recovered for clients, as stated by the firm (no individual results listed)
- Firm-level recognition labels on the site include Best Law Firms 2024 and 2023, Rated by Super Lawyers 2023, and Best Lawyers of the Year 2022
Lead Attorney / Team
The page we reviewed does not name the attorneys who handle workers’ compensation matters, and its recognitions appear as firm badges.
Service Approach
The page states that an insurer has 18 days to begin payment or dispute a claim, a useful benchmark for a worker still waiting on a first check. It sets out notice to the employer within 30 days and to the Board within two years, and it describes Forms C-3 and C-3.3. It also separates the compensation claim from a personal injury lawsuit, which it says generally must be filed within three years. The firm advertises no fees unless it wins.
Contact: (212) 977-7033 | New York, Long Island, and Queens offices (no Brooklyn office listed)
#4 Rosenbaum Meier Personal Injury Lawyers
Why They Made Our List: Rosenbaum Meier reports more than four decades in practice and keeps a Brooklyn office at 32 Court Street. Its guidance explains when cash benefits start, a detail that matters for workers whose time off the job is short.
Firm Overview
The firm states that it has won millions of dollars in jury verdicts and negotiated settlements. Its site displays a Google rating of 4.8 from 265 reviews and offers a Spanish version.
Notable Achievements / Case Results
The page reviewed does not publish individual workers’ compensation results. Listed case types include construction accidents, scaffolding and ladder falls, electrocutions, and building collapses.
Lead Attorney / Team
Individual attorneys are not named on the page we reviewed.
Service Approach
The page explains that wage benefits begin only after a worker has been out more than seven days, which matters for an employee cleared for light duty quickly. It notes that treatment generally must come from a Board-authorized provider, the same provider whose restrictions will shape any return-to-work plan. It also stresses written notice to the employer within 30 days and observes that a claim against someone other than the employer may add to the recovery. Fee terms are not stated on the page.
Contact: 917-920-7332 | 32 Court Street, Suite 704, Brooklyn, NY 11201
#5 The Rothenberg Law Firm
Why They Made Our List: The Rothenberg Law Firm cites more than 50 years of experience and publishes a Brooklyn workers’ compensation guide that addresses doctors, coverage, and employers without insurance.
Firm Overview
The firm says it has won and collected billions of dollars for clients. Its named offices are in Manhattan, Forest Hills in Queens, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, and it does not list a Brooklyn office.
Notable Achievements / Case Results
No individual results are published on the page reviewed. The firm offers free consultations and states that no legal fees are owed unless compensation is secured.
Lead Attorney / Team
The page we reviewed does not name individual attorneys.
Service Approach
The guide explains the 30-day notice rule and the requirement that treating doctors be Board-authorized, noting that an employer’s PPO network may govern the first 30 days of care. It also describes the Uninsured Employers’ Fund, which can matter to a worker at a small business that never carried coverage.
Contact: 1-800-624-8888 | 450 7th Ave, 44th Floor, New York, NY 10123 (no Brooklyn office listed)
Understanding Brooklyn Workers’ Compensation Cases
A claim does not end when a doctor clears a worker for some kind of duty. That clearance often opens a second phase, where the questions shift to how much the worker can still earn and whether the job will still be there.
Hospital and Care Work in East Flatbush
Transport aides, environmental services staff, and nursing assistants at the medical centers along Clarkson Avenue often come back with lifting limits. A transitional assignment at a desk or a unit station may pay less or offer fewer hours, and the gap between the old wage and the new one is where temporary partial or reduced earnings benefits come in.
Retail and Grocery Work in Park Slope
Stockers, cashiers, and deli workers along Fifth and Seventh Avenues often return part time after knee, shoulder, or back injuries. Hourly schedules shift from week to week, so pay stubs from before and after the injury become the main evidence of lost earning capacity.
Building Service Work in Dumbo
Porters, handymen, and doormen in the converted warehouse buildings along Water Street and Front Street haul trash, carry packages, and climb stairs all day. A porter who comes back unable to handle bulk trash may be reassigned, cut back, or let go, and a sudden change soon after a claim is the kind of timing that can support a retaliation complaint.
Restaurant and Small Shop Work in Kensington
Cooks, dishwashers, and counter staff in the small businesses along Church Avenue and Coney Island Avenue often work for employers with no formal light-duty program. When no transitional job exists, a worker under restrictions may still be partially disabled, and medical evidence of the restrictions plus a clear record of earnings becomes essential.
Who Can Be Held Liable
In a return-to-work dispute, responsibility can fall on more than one party:
- The employer, which alone answers for retaliation penalties and payments under NY Workers’ Compensation Law §120, with no shifting of that liability to its insurer
- The workers’ compensation carrier, which owes lost-time benefits during disability and any reduced earnings tied to the injury
- Property owners and managers whose unsafe conditions caused the original injury
- General contractors and equipment manufacturers when a job site or a defective tool played a role
Critical NYC Requirements
- Retaliation complaints: NY Workers’ Compensation Law §120 makes it unlawful to discharge or otherwise discriminate against an employee for claiming or attempting to claim benefits, or for testifying in a Board proceeding, unless another valid reason is shown. A complaint must be filed within two years, and the Board’s form is the DC-120. When a violation is found, the Board must order reinstatement and lost pay, and it may fine the employer $100 to $500.
- Temporary total and temporary partial benefits: Under NY Workers’ Compensation Law §15(2), temporary total disability pays 66 2/3% of the average weekly wage. Under §15(5), temporary partial disability pays two-thirds of the difference between pre-injury average weekly wages and wage-earning capacity afterward, in the same or other employment.
- Measuring earning capacity: NY Workers’ Compensation Law §15(5-a) bases wage-earning capacity on actual earnings. When a worker has none, the Board may fix a reasonable figure, but not above 75% of former full-time actual earnings.
- New weekly limits: Board Subject Number 046-1805, dated April 16, 2026, sets a maximum weekly benefit of $1,281.50 and a minimum of $384.45 for injuries from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027, based on a state average weekly wage of $1,922.25. A worker whose actual wages fall below the minimum receives those wages instead.
- No guaranteed job: The Board’s return-to-work guidance states that employers are not required to hold positions open, although most take injured workers back. Federal FMLA leave and ADA accommodation rules may offer separate protection.
Selection Criteria
We scored each firm on the factors below, relying only on what it publishes about itself, with added weight on how well it serves workers returning to the job under restrictions.
Case Results and Recovery Amounts. Specific totals and named outcomes earned more credit than broad promises. Self-reported figures were labeled as self-reported, and “Not Stated” appears wherever a firm offered nothing we could check against its own materials. Board awards are rarely published, so totals carried weight.
Client Satisfaction. A return to work can stretch a claim across months of partial checks and medical updates. We read reviews for patience and clear communication, and the satisfaction column follows the fixed scale used throughout this series.
Legal Experience and Expertise. Light-duty disputes turn on medical restrictions, wage records, and benefit categories. Years in practice, a stated focus on injured workers, and accurate published guidance about Board procedure all counted toward this score, as did any sign that a firm understands how partial disability is measured.
Trial Readiness. Hearings over reduced earnings or retaliation involve testimony, payroll evidence, and competing accounts of a job offer. Firms with litigation records are better prepared to build that record and to pursue any third-party lawsuit the original accident supports.
Brooklyn Community Connection. A worker on a reduced schedule has little spare time for long trips to meet counsel. We noted which firms keep a Brooklyn office and said plainly when one does not.
Professional Recognition. Dated, current honors from peers and independent organizations carried weight. Older awards were not presented as present credentials, and badges without a year or a source counted for little.
Accessibility and Communication. Termination notices and schedule cuts can arrive at the end of any shift. Round-the-clock contact, multilingual service, and lawyers who explain options before a worker signs or quits all mattered here.
Fee Structure and Transparency. NY Workers’ Compensation Law §24 requires Board approval of attorney fees, so we favored firms that explain how they are paid and confirm that clients owe nothing without a recovery.
Scope of Services. The strongest firms handle the full arc of a claim, from first filing through partial disability, reduced earnings, retaliation complaints, and appeals. Guidance that stops at the initial filing earned less credit, because the costliest mistakes often happen months later, when a worker returns at lower pay.
Innovation in Practice. Clear online guides, digital intake, and easy document sharing help a worker who is back on the job and cannot leave a shift for a meeting. Firms that explain benefit categories and deadlines before the first call scored higher here.
Moving Forward
Being cleared to work again is good news, but it does not settle what you are owed. Whether you push stretchers in East Flatbush, stock shelves in Park Slope, or keep a building running in Dumbo, keep every pay stub from before and after your injury, get your doctor’s restrictions in writing, and save any light-duty offer you receive. If your hours are cut or your job disappears soon after you file, write down the dates and who said what.
Then talk with a workers’ compensation lawyer before you accept, decline, or quit anything. Kucher Law Group offers a free consultation and works on contingency, and each firm on this list provides a way to start. Ask which benefit category fits your situation, whether the new weekly maximum applies to your date of injury, and how the two-year retaliation window works.
About Our Rankings: Press Posts’ monthly rankings recognize excellence in specialized practice areas. Our evaluation process examines case results, client satisfaction, professional experience, and community impact. Rankings are based on verified data and are updated monthly to reflect current performance. Enhanced profiles are available but not required for ranking consideration.
For Attorneys: To nominate yourself or a colleague for future rankings, please email editor@pressposts.com.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Each case is unique, and results depend on specific facts and circumstances.
