Kent & McBride - Attorneys at Law

Francis "Fritz" Moritz
Partner
1617 JFK Blvd.
Suite 1200
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Phone: 215.568.1800
Fax: 215.568.1830
fmoritz@kentmcbride.com

Education

LaSalle University (B.A., 1991)

Seton Hall University School of Law (J.D., 1994)

Bar Admissions

Pennsylvania and New Jersey

Francis "Fritz" Moritz

Francis "Fritz" Moritz was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on May 18, 1969. He received his B.A. from LaSalle University in 1991 and his J.D. from Seton Hall University School of Law in 1994. For the academic year 1993-1994, he was a visiting student at the Law School of Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

While enrolled in law school, Fritz served as a judicial law clerk for the Judges of Workers’ Compensation. He was admitted to both the Pennsylvania and New Jersey Bars in 1994. He has since concentrated his practice in the areas of workers’ compensation law, employment law, premises liability and product liability, focusing now primarily in the defense of workers’ compensation matters. He represents the rights of self-insured companies as well as insurers throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of New Jersey, and he has argued before the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania.

Fritz is an active member of various state and local bar associations, and he has lectured on a variety of topics in the defense industry including legislative changes and effective strategies for handling and defending claims.

Fritz and his wife, Danielle, are actively involved with The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (“PANCAN”), a non-profit advocacy organization striving for research and funding to fight pancreatic cancer, and are involved with mental health advocacy to increase the services and resources for individuals suffering from mental illness and mental retardation. Fritz and Danielle are also members of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Areas of Practice

Workers’ compensation law
Employment law
Premises liability litigation
Product liability litigation

Professional Associations and Memberships

Philadelphia Bar Association
Pennsylvania Bar Association

Awards and Recognitions

Fritz has been recognized by the bar and his peers as a Super Lawyer Rising Star

Published Decisions

CRST v. Worker's Compensation Appeal Board (Boyles), 929 A.2d 703 (Pa. Cmwlth. 2007) - Established an employer/insurer is entitled to pursue an Earning Power Assessment Petition against a claimant pursuant to Section 306(b)(2) of the Act even though the claimant already secured employment on his own following an injury.

In this case of first impression, the Court ruled the employer/insurer was able to establish through its vocational evidence a higher "earning power" than the wages of the job to which the claimant had returned on his own. Therefore, the employer/insurer was entitled to a greater reduction of the claimant's weekly wage-loss benefits. Both the WCJ and the Appeal Board denied the employer/insurer's Petition reasoning that the claimant's return to work thwarted the Earning Power Assessment; but, ultimately, the Commonwealth Court reversed and granted the relief requested thereby establishing new case law benefiting not just this employer/insurer, but all employers/insurers throughout the Commonwealth.