Rossa v. Workers' Compensation Appeal Board

As I disagree with the majority’s holding that a workers’ compensation judge has the authority to determine the paternity of a child in the context of workers’ compensation proceeding, I must respectfully dissent.

In my view, paternity must always be decided by the courts of common pleas. Indeed, I believe that the General Assembly has indicated its intent that paternity decisions be made by the trial courts through its enactment of several statutes that specifically refer to the trial courts’ authority to decide paternity and establish the procedures to be used by the trial courts in making…