Philip Heebsh

Overview Education Credentials Recognitions Affiliations Insights Services Transportation & Logistics Emergency Response & Crisis Management Professional Liability Litigation Transportation Litigation Workers Compensation Employment Services & Counseling Retail Liability Defense Phil helps clients - trucking and transportation companies, manufacturers, retailers, and more - respond to accidents and injuries. A member of Roetzels Emergency Response and Crisis Management Team, he makes himself available 24 hours a day to rapidly respond to client emergencies and bring order and certainty to chaos. Clients rely on Phils clear explanations and guidance to understand their liability. They count on him to quickly get to accident sites to assess responsibilities, preserve evidence, and protect their employees from the moment authorities and regulators get involved. They trust him to successfully defend their rights - at the negotiating table and in the courtroom - when situations turn contentious. And they know that he will deliver optimal results in what can be tragic and catastrophic circumstances. Phil has particular strengths in resolving workers compensation matters, primarily for self-insured employers, and working with clients to design and implement safety programs that reduce risk and prevent workplace injuries. In addition, he regularly conducts risk and liability reviews for corporate clients throughout the United States, including in particular to establish claim reporting and litigation preparedness protocols. Phil has been appointed and served as a Special Discovery Master for complex litigation. Before starting law school, Phil worked full-time in an industrial heat treat facility where he ran vacuum furnaces and learned firsthand the implications of rigorous workplace safety. Experience Early resolution of a triple fatality multivehicle accident through mediation, resulting in considerable savings to the company Successful defense of numerous wrongful death and injury claims at trial Recovery of $1,500,000 on behalf of a client for environmental cleanup costs The University of Toledo, B. A. cum laude The University of Toledo College of Law, J. D. Bar Admissions Michigan Ohio Court Admissions U. S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio U. S. District Court, Southern District of Ohio U. S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan Supreme Court of Ohio U. S. District Court, Western District of Michigan Named to The Best Lawyers in America® for Transportation Law (2024-2025) Professional Affiliations Ohio Self Insured Association Northwest Ohio Self Insured Association Ohio Trucking Association Nuclear Verdicts Task Force Member Trucking Industry Defense Association Alerts Supreme Court Issues Extremely Favorable Decision for Employers on Defense of TTD Compensation Requests (Dec 2, 2024) Federal Trade Commission Follows Through on Promise to Issue Rule Banning Virtually All Non-Compete Agreements (Apr 23, 2024) Sixth Circuit Throws Out Minimum Wage Standards for Employees Who Drive Their Own Vehicles for Work (Mar 18, 2024) Supreme Court Issues Decision Finding TTD Compensation Can Be Terminated Based on MMI Prior to the Date of Industrial Commission Hearing (Mar 11, 2024) U. S. Department of Labor Implements New Rule to Clarify Worker Classification under FLSA (Jan 12, 2024) Ohios a Buzz: Impact of Legalization of Recreational Marijuana Use on Employers (Nov 8, 2023) Labor Department Proposes Overtime for Currently Exempt Employees Earning $55,000/Year or Less (Sep 1, 2023) Supreme Court of Michigan Alters Premises Liability Law Framework and Open and Obvious Doctrine (Aug 3, 2023) The Supreme Courts New Test for Determining Undue Hardship for Religious Accommodation Requests— A Substantial Change (Jun 30, 2023) Elevated Protections for Pregnant Workers Now in Effect (Jun 28, 2023) NLRB General Counsel Wants to Prohibit Most Non-Competes: Will the Board and the Courts Agree? (Jun 2, 2023) Is This the End of the Voluntary Abandonment Defense for Ohio Employers? (Mar 14, 2023) The NLRB Claims That It Is Returning to Prior Precedent Restricting the Use of Confidentiality and Non-Disparagement Clauses in Severance Agreements, but Is It Really? (Mar 9, 2023) Proposed OSHA Rule Would Result in Changes to Inspection Procedures (Jan 19, 2023) FTC Proposed Rule Would Ban Non-Competition Agreements (Jan 5, 2023) The Speak Out Act Ends the Silencing of Sexual Assault Victims Through Nondisclosure and Non-Disparagement Agreements (Jan 4, 2023) Back Pay Plus: NLRB Permits Employees To Recover Foreseeable Damages From Employers for Labor Law Violations (Dec 14, 2022) #MeToo Restricts the Use of NDAs in Sexual Harassment Cases (Nov 18, 2022) Uptick in COVID Cases Prompts Additional EEOC Guidance (Jul 13, 2022) The X Box: EEOC Announces Addition of Nonbinary Gender Option to Discrimination Charge (Mar 31, 2022) U. S. Supreme Court Shoots Down COVID-19 Shot-or-Test Rule (Jan 13, 2022) COVID-19 Update: The CDC Issues New Isolation Guidance (Dec 29, 2021) Sixth Circuit Lifts Stay on OSHAs Vaccine-or-Test Rule (Dec 20, 2021) Federal Courts Block the Federal Contractor and Healthcare Worker Vaccine Mandates for Certain States (Including Ohio) (Dec 1, 2021) The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals Will Hear the Court Challenge to OSHAs Vax-or-Test Rule (Nov 17, 2021) OSHA Issues COVID-19 Vaccination Rule: What Employers Need to Know (Nov 5, 2021) Ohio Court Reaffirms Employers Right to Raise Voluntary Abandonment (Oct 11, 2021) Kentucky Federal Court Allows Hospital to Proceed with Vaccination Policy for Employees (Sep 29, 2021) President Biden Orders OSHA to Issue Rule Requiring Large Employers to Mandate That Employees Get Vaccinated For COVID-19 Or Undergo Weekly Testing (Sep 10, 2021) Stay in or Get Out? Employers Should Evaluate Their Options Under the PBGCs New Withdrawal Liability Guidance (Jul 23, 2021) OSHA Issues COVID-19 Rules for Healthcare Employers Only (Jun 11, 2021) BWC Proposes New Rule Excluding COVID-19 Claims From an Employers Experience Rating (May 28, 2021) Its a Bird! Its a Plane! Its a ... Drone? (May 4, 2021) Ohio Governor Signs H. B. 308 to Create Fund for PTSD for First Responders (Jan 20, 2021) U. S. Department of Labor Announces Final Rule for Classifying Workers as Independent Contractors Under the FLSA (Jan 19, 2021) Are Violations of the FMCSRs Admissible to Show Negligence in a Trucking Case? Not According to the Sixth Circuit (Jan 12, 2021) Big Changes as Employers Prepare to Hire Foreign Workers (Jan 8, 2021) The Ohio Supreme Court Holds Driving On but Not Over the Highway Fog Line Is Not a Violation of Ohio Law (Jan 5, 2021) New COVID-19 Relief Bill Does Not Require Employers to Provide Paid Leave in the New Year (Dec 23, 2020) Can an Ohio Jury Award $0 for Pain and Suffering Even When It Finds That Plaintiff Was Injured? It Depends. (Dec 22, 2020) EEOC Releases Guidance About COVID-19 Vaccine (Dec 18, 2020) The Supreme Court of Ohio Disqualifies a Trial Court Judge for Failure to Implement COVID-19 Safety Measures (Dec 15, 2020) Ohio Supreme Court Clarifies a Plaintiffs Burden in Negligent Hiring, Retention, and Supervision Cases (Dec 10, 2020) 2021 Outlook on Business and Employment-Based Immigration (Nov 11, 2020) Governor DeWine Requests BWC Send $5 Billion Dividend to Ohio Employers (Nov 2, 2020) Public Employee Loses First Amendment Retaliation Claim After Publicly Posting a Racial Slur on Facebook That Caused Sufficient Workplace Disruption (Oct 14, 2020) DOL Updates FFCRA Regulations, Effective 9/16/2020, in Response to Federal Court Decision (Sep 15, 2020) EEOC Acknowledges Limitations to Its Enforcement Powers in Recent Opinion Letter (Sep 14, 2020) EEOC Provides Additional Guidance on ADA Compliance During COVID-19 (Sep 9, 2020) Federal Court Strikes Down DOLs FFCRA Regulations (Aug 11, 2020) Department of Labor Adds to Still-Growing Body of Guidance on the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (Jul 23, 2020) Several Important Changes to Ohio Workers Compensation Law Approved by Governor DeWine (Jun 30, 2020) Supreme Court Rules LGBTQ Employees Are Protected from Job Discrimination (Jun 15, 2020) EEOC Updates COVID-19 Guidance on Accommodating Employees Who Are Disabled, Pregnant, or Over 65 (Jun 12, 2020) Possible Employer Vicarious Liability for Employees HIPAA Violation Even When Employee Engages In Unauthorized Act (Jun 9, 2020) Legislation Repeals Three Health-Related Excise Taxes Imposed by the Affordable Care Act (Jun 5, 2020) EEO-1 Report Deadline Pushed Back to 2021 (May 13, 2020) EEOC Updates COVID-19 Guidance on High-Risk Employees Returning to Work (May 8, 2020) EEOC Updates COVID-19 Guidance to Address Employers Reopening for Business (Apr 24, 2020) Department of Labor Issues Additional Guidance to Employers Related to COVID-19 Issues (Apr 17, 2020) FLSA Common Pitfalls; Employers Beware (Apr 17, 2020) NLRB Postpones Effective Date of Election Protection Final Rule Until July 31, 2020 (Apr 10, 2020) Legislation Introduced to Add COVID-19 for Workers Compensation (Apr 8, 2020) New Lawsuit Tests Whether Best-in-Class Safety Technology is New Standard of Care (Apr 6, 2020) How the CARES Act Impacts Employee Benefits (Apr 3, 2020) Freezing a Defined Benefit Plan to Reduce Current Year Contribution Obligation (Apr 3, 2020) In-Person Requirements Relative to Form I-9 Deferred if Workplace is Operating Completely Remotely (Mar 31, 2020) Layoffs in the Time of the Coronavirus (Mar 30, 2020) Supreme Court of Ohio Tolls Litigation Deadlines and Timelines (Mar 29, 2020) New Ohio Law Tolls Statutes of Limitations and Deadlines in Civil Lawsuits Due to COVID-19 (Mar 27, 2020) Department of Labor Issues Guidance on Families First Coronavirus Response Act (Mar 25, 2020) Unemployment Benefits: What Employers Need to Know (Mar 23, 2020) The Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation Announces Several Temporary Policy Changes in Response to COVID-19 (Mar 23, 2020) The New Families First Coronavirus Response Law (Mar 19, 2020) Four Legal Pitfalls of Employees Working from Home Due to Coronavirus (Mar 16, 2020) Attention Employers: Federal Legislation Appears Imminent Expanding Employee Paid Sick Leave in Response to Coronavirus (Mar 15, 2020) Ohio Industrial Commission Suspends Upcoming Hearings (Mar 13, 2020) Employment Law Q&A (Mar 13, 2020) Four Things All Employers Should Do to Prepare for the Coronavirus (Mar 5, 2020) Ohio Supreme Court Vacates $4.5 Million Order of Restitution to City of Cleveland (Feb 7, 2020) The Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation has a New Rule for the Payment of Medical Treatment for Concussion Related Injuries (Feb 3, 2020) N. J. Court Requires Reimbursement for Marijuana Use as Part of Workers Compensation Case (Jan 23, 2020) A Parents Attendance at IEP Meetings Found to be Eligible for Leave Under the Family Medical Leave Act (Jan 22, 2020) Department of Labor Revises Joint Employment Regulations (Jan 13, 2020) What Makes an Undue Hardship in Religious Accommodation? Change May be on the Horizon (Jan 8, 2020) Federal Appeals Court Strikes Down Key Obamacare Rule (Dec 19, 2019) What Every Employer Needs to Know About CBD (Nov 18, 2019) Are LGBTQ Workers Protected by Title VIIs Ban on Sex Discrimination? The Supreme Court Will Decide This Term (Sep 30, 2019) Department of Labor Announces Final Rule Increasing the Salary Thresholds for Overtime Exempt Status (Sep 26, 2019) Are Employers Required to Accommodate Medical Marijuana? (Aug 16, 2019) NLRB Proposes New Election Rules Un-Blocking Charges and Protecting Employee Rights After Voluntary Recognition (Aug 14, 2019) Ohio House Passes HB 80, Includes PTSD Expansion (Jun 7, 2019) Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation Submits Dividend Proposal (May 21, 2019) Attention Employers: EEO-1 Component 2 Pay Data is Due September 30, 2019 (Apr 30, 2019) Attention Large Employers: The Obama-Era Pay Data Rule is Back in Play (Mar 11, 2019) The Department of Labors New Overtime Rule Stakes Out Middle Ground on Pay Threshold for Overtime Exemption (Mar 8, 2019) OSHA Increases Civil Penalties (Jan 18, 2019) New Year, New Minimum Wage (Jan 7, 2019) Ohio Supreme Court Expands Voluntary Abandonment Defense (Oct 4, 2018) No Citation? No Problem. Employers Can Now Submit a Request to Charge the Surplus Fund Without Proof of a Motor Vehicle Citation (Sep 13, 2018) Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation Proposes $1.5 Billion in Rebates (Apr 27, 2018) Ohio Supreme Court Rules on BWC Subrogation Interest in Tort Claim Insurance Settlements (Apr 26, 2018) Ohio Imposes New Rules on Back Surgeries in Workers Compensation Cases (Jan 24, 2018) Ohio Supreme Court Finds Ohios Consent Provision Constitutional (Oct 2, 2017) Ohio Makes Significant Changes to Workers Compensation Laws (Aug 31, 2017) Ohio House of Representatives Passes Bill Removing Workers Compensation Benefits for Unauthorized Aliens; Reduces Time to File Claim to One Year for all Workers (May 22, 2017) Expanded Concealed Carry Rights for Employees Go Into Effect on March 20, 2017 (Feb 28, 2017) Alex Acosta Nominated for Secretary of Labor Position After Withdrawal of Andrew Puzder From Consideration (Feb 17, 2017) Ohio Governor Kasich Signs into Law Presumption for Cancer Incurred During Work Activities (Jan 6, 2017) Ohio Supreme Court Rules Concurrent Benefit Awards Not Authorized by Law (Dec 9, 2016) OSHA to Raise Fines for First Time in Quarter Century (Nov 18, 2015) Court of Appeals Upholds Trial Court Decision in Ferguson v. State of Ohio (Nov 13, 2015) + Show More - Show Less Presentations Optimize Workplace Safety - Navigate Workers Comp Claims & Create an Effective Workplace - OTA Institute (Nov 7, 2024) Winning Trial Tactics to Combat Nuclear Verdicts - Toledo Trucking Association (February 2024) Railroad Liability Issues - USLAW Network (Jun 22, 2021) 2017 Roetzel Labor & Employment Law Breakfast Briefings - Roetzels Labor & Employment Law Seminar Series (2017) The SMART Act, ORC 4113.23 and Ohio Employment Qualification Act - Akron Bar Association Annual CLE Seminar (2015) Workers Compensation in Ohio in the Court of Common Pleas, Courts of Appeal and Mandamus Actions - Wal-Mart Workers Comp. National Counsel Meeting (2014) + Show More - Show Less Firm News 100 Roetzel Attorneys Named 2025 Best Lawyers®, Ones to Watch (Aug 15, 2024) Roetzel & Andress Earns Recognition in 2024 Best Lawyers (Aug 17, 2023) Heebsh Named Shareholder-in-Charge of Roetzels Toledo Office (Jan 1, 2020) Roetzel & Andress Welcomes Philip S. Heebsh to Toledo Office (Oct 7, 2015)