Mahon, Quinn & Mahon, P.C. have written the following articles to help inform you on a variety of issues. This section of our website is frequently updated, so be sure to check back often. If you are looking for information not covered in our articles, please contact us with your questions.
These articles are presented as a public service by the law firm of Mahon, Quinn & Mahon, P.C. These articles are provided for general information purposes and are not intended as legal advice. You should not rely on any information presented without consulting your own legal advisor.
One of the most critical issues in a workers’ compensation case is the employment status of the injured worker. This is an essential issue because the Workers’ Compensation Commission has no jurisdiction over a case if there is no employment relationship between the worker and the employer. Thus, even if a worker is severely injured at the workplace, no workers’ compensation coverage will be afforded unless the worker is an employee.
In Connecticut, the Workers’ Compensation Commission oversees all workers’ compensation claims. There are eight districts: Hartford, Norwich, New Haven, Bridgeport, Waterbury, New Britain, Stamford, and Middletown. Each district covers a specific geographic area, with the venue determined by the injury location. Cases can sometimes be moved for the parties' convenience.
At their most basic level, leases are contracts between landlords and tenants that set forth the legal rights and obligations of the parties. Leases offer guidelines and parameters governing the parties’ conduct concerning the use and occupancy of real property. Leases are important in any landlord-tenant relationship, but they take on extra significance for mobile home park owners and residents.
In Connecticut, eviction cases are referred to as summary process actions, and they are generally governed by the Connecticut Landlord Tenant Act. Special rules apply to evictions for tenants (or residents) living in mobile home parks, depending on whether the resident owns their mobile home. These rules are found in the Mobile Manufactured Home Act, or Chapter 412 of the General Statutes. This article offers a basic overview of mobile home evictions and what park owners can expect when a case goes to court, focusing on situations where the resident rents the land but owns their home.
In our law practice, we routinely encounter clients who have sustained catastrophic injuries at work that prevent them from returning to their past employment. Many times, these individuals are so seriously injured that they file an application for Social Security disability insurance (SSDI) or Workers’ Compensation benefits. These benefits are available for people who suffer from a severe impairment(s) that prevents them from working at all on a regular and sustained basis. Often with our legal guidance and assistance, their applications for SSDI benefits are approved after a hearing in front of an administrative law judge.
Every day in Connecticut, landlords are forced to file lawsuits against former tenants in the hope that they can recover money damages from tenants who have violated their leases. Not surprisingly, the success of these cases often hinges on the landlord’s ability to prove that the tenant failed to pay rent pursuant to the lease or that he or she caused excessive damage to the rental property. Unfortunately, many landlords are not adequately prepared to prove these facts because they have not thoroughly documented the condition of the rental property before the tenant began occupying it or they failed to keep an accurate accounting of rental payments received or not received.
Residential and commercial landlords in Connecticut are allowed to collect security deposits from tenants. A security deposit is a payment that a tenant makes before the lease term begins that is used to provide financial security to a landlord if the tenant breaches the lease or damages the property. When it is used properly, a security deposit can be a vital tool to ensure that landlords are made whole at the end of a lease term if a tenant defaults or causes damage.
In 1982, the State of Connecticut made national headlines when the legislature passed the nation’s first “Lemon Law.” A “lemon” is defined as the law as a vehicle purchased or leased in the state of Connecticut that does not meet the manufacturer’s express warranty, and cannot be repaired after a number of attempts.
Social Security Administration Enacts New Regulations Concerning the Submission of Evidence in Disability Cases
New federal regulations were recently enacted that clarify and explain what type of evidence must be disclosed by claimants to the Social Security Administration in social security disability and supplemental security income cases. The regulations also clarify the role that representatives must play in disclosing and submitting this evidence in such cases.
