Legal Insights
Plain-language guides and case briefs on Philippine law — researched from the firm's law library of 184,000+ statutes, Supreme Court decisions, and agency issuances, and written so non-lawyers can understand and act on them.
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Seafarer Disability Benefits: When a Late or Vague Medical Assessment Means Automatic Total Disability
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies when a company-designated physician's incomplete or late medical assessment entitles a seafarer to permanent total disability benefits.
Seafarers' Rights: Defining Maximum Medical Improvement in Disability Claims
Supreme Court clarifies that "maximum medical improvement" alone is not a valid disability assessment, entitling seafarer to permanent total disability benefits.
The 240-Day Rule Protecting Seafarers' Rights to Full Disability Benefits in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies the 120/240-day rule for seafarers' disability claims, explaining when full permanent total disability benefits are due.
Seafarer Disability Benefits: Why Final Medical Assessments Matter
Understand why the Supreme Court denied permanent total disability benefits to a seafarer who filed his claim before the company doctor issued a final assessment.
Navigating Disability Benefits FOR Seafarers Understanding THE Supreme Courts Ruling ON Permanent Total Disability
Finality of Medical Assessments: Protecting Seafarers' Right to Full Disability Benefits
The Supreme Court clarifies when a company-designated physician's assessment is final and definitive, protecting seafarers' right to permanent total disability benefits.
Definitive Disability Assessments: Protecting Seafarers' Right to Full Compensation
The Supreme Court ruled that a company doctor's tentative or unclear disability rating does not bar a seafarer from claiming permanent total disability benefits.
Reinstating Attorney's Fees in Seafarer Disability Claims: The Horlador Ruling
The Supreme Court reinstates 10% attorney's fees for seafarers who win permanent total disability claims, reinforcing protective labor policy.
When Is a Seafarer Entitled to Total Disability Benefits: A Guide to Maritime Claims
Learn when a seafarer may claim permanent total disability benefits under the POEA contract, based on a 2017 Supreme Court ruling.
Burden of Proof in Seafarer Compensation Claims: Work Conditions and Illness Causation
Supreme Court clarifies when a seafarer's illness is work-related and how delayed disability ratings affect permanent total disability claims.
Defining the Limits of Medical Assessment Periods for Seafarer Disability Claims
The Supreme Court clarifies when a company-designated physician's delay in assessing a seafarer's disability results in permanent total disability benefits.
Permanent Total Disability for Seafarers: The 120-Day Rule and POEA-SEC Entitlement
When does a seafarer's disability become permanent and total? The Supreme Court clarifies the 120-day rule and POEA-SEC compensation in Island Overseas Transport v. Beja.
Beyond 120 Days: Seafarer’s Right to Permanent Total Disability Benefits
The Supreme Court clarifies when a seafarer is deemed permanently and totally disabled under the 120-day rule and POEA-SEC.
When Prolonged Illness Translates to Permanent Disability: Protecting Seafarers' Rights
A seafarer's stroke is work-related and compensable as permanent total disability when the company physician fails to issue a final assessment.
Seafarers' Rights: Implied Contract Extension and Disability Benefits
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on implied contract extension for seafarers and entitlement to permanent total disability benefits under POEA-SEC.
Seafarers Disability: Prolonged Incapacity Trumps Fit-to-Work Certification
A company doctor's fit-to-work certification does not defeat a seafarer's permanent total disability claim when incapacity exceeds 120 days.
GSIS Held in Contempt for Delaying Payment of Permanent Total Disability Benefits Under RA 8291
Supreme Court cites GSIS for indirect contempt for delaying payment of a member's permanent total disability benefits under RA 8291.
From Partial to Total: Converting Disability Benefits Under Philippine Law
When can a permanent partial disability (PPD) benefit be converted to permanent total disability (PTD)? The Supreme Court explains in GSIS v. Casco.
Seafarer Disability Claims: Heart Condition and Fitness for Sea Duty After Bypass Surgery
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on seafarer permanent total disability benefits after heart bypass surgery under the 1996 POEA Standard Employment Contract.
Beyond Physical Loss: Defining Permanent Total Disability in Philippine Employment Law
The Supreme Court clarifies that permanent total disability is not about physical helplessness but the inability to earn wages in one's trained work.
Permanent Total Disability Claims: Protecting Retirees' Right to Full Compensation
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on permanent total disability benefits for retired government employees, explained in plain language.
Ensuring Fair Retirement Benefits for Government Employees with Work-Related Illnesses
Supreme Court ruling on permanent total disability benefits for government employees who retire early due to work-related illnesses.
Permanent Total Disability in the Philippines: Employee Rights and Compensation
Understand permanent total disability under Philippine law, how it differs from partial disability, and what the GSIS vs. Bella ruling means for employees.