Sandra L. Niemotka Partner

Sandra Niemotka has focused her practice on workers' compensation defense in Pennsylvania and New Jersey since 1992.

Sandy is known for aggressively defending Pennsylvania and New Jersey cases in workers' compensation litigation. More recently, she has been advising clients with, and litigating, COVID-19 claims, including broad advice about responding to such claims. She has particular experience and knowledge of claims that can be brought in both states, known as “concurrent jurisdiction”. She also has particular knowledge and experience in hearing loss claims, opioid abuse, medical marijuana and in finding offsets against workers’ compensation benefits so that benefits can be reduced. She counsels clients such as insurance companies, media, manufacturers, warehouses, school districts and restaurants on a regular basis in response to the day-to-day issues that concern workers' compensation. She is a member of the Claims and Litigation Management Alliance and has also contributed articles and been an invited speaker of other industry organizations such as the Pennsylvania Defense Institute, the Philadelphia Insurance Society and the Pennsylvania Bar Institute.

Sandy has tremendous empathy for employers who are faced with workers’ compensation system abusers. She enthusiastically presents the best possible defense in litigating her cases, turning over every stone and finding creative ways to push back against questionable claims, whether in litigation or not.

Representative Matters

• Obtained a Judge’s decision, affirmed on appeal, that stopped the employer’s liability for a former nurse’s excessive use of opioid patches and lozenges

• Obtained a dismissal against a coal miner’s scar claims, with unique statute of limitations issues, up to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court level

• Obtained a Judge’s decision denying that a camera operator’s neck surgery was work related, despite the alleged whiplash from his car accident

• Obtained a Judge’s decision that denied a Claim against an electronics manufacturer when an inspector alleged his low back surgery was work related, but the defense established the injury leading to the surgery had resulted from a sneeze at home

Recognition & Involvement

In 2005, Sandy was named in a survey of her peers as a Pennsylvania "Rising Star" attorney by Super Lawyers. The Super Lawyers list is issued by Thomson Reuters. A description of the selection methodology can be found at www.superlawyers.com/about/selection_process_detail.html. No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.

Sandy is member of the American Legion Ladies Auxiliary, Oaklyn-Bettlewood Post 84, previously serving as Sergeant at Arms for several years.