Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation

In most cases of work-related injury or illness in Pennsylvania, the only recourse an employee has against his or her employer is through the Workers’ Compensation Act. By filing a workers’ compensation claim, injured employees in PA can receive financial compensation equal to two-thirds of their weekly wage for a work-related injury or illness.If you have been injured in an on-the-job accident in Pennsylvania, you may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits for your medical expenses, lost wages and other losses. However, the last thing you want to deal with after suffering a work-related injury is navigating the intricacies of the Pennsylvania workers’ compensation system. Contact a reputable PA workers’ compensation lawyer today to find out how you can receive the benefits you deserve for your work-related injury or illness.

Pursuing Workers’ Comp Benefits in PA

The Pennsylvania workers’ compensation system is designed to provide protections for both employees and employers in PA. Employees injured on the job receive the medical care they need and recover compensation for lost wages related to work-related injuries or illnesses under the system, and employers provide for the cost of this insurance coverage while being protected from individual lawsuits by injured employees. If you have been injured in an accident at work, take the following steps to receive the workers’ compensation benefits you deserve:

• Seek medical care. Your first course of action should be to get immediate medical attention and tell your healthcare provider that your injury or illness is job-related.
• Report the injury to your employer. To avoid delays in receiving workers’ compensation benefits, notify your employer of your injury right away, even if the injury doesn’t cause you to take timeoff work. If you wait too long to report the injury, you could lose your right to workers’ compensation benefits.
• File a workers’ compensation claim. Reporting the injury to your employer isn’t enough. You must file an official workers’ comp claim detailing the circumstances of your injury, which your employer will then forward to the insurance company to be investigated.

As an employee in Pennsylvania, you typically cannot sue your employer for causing your work injury or illness, you can only file for workers’ compensation benefits to pay for your medical bills and lost wages. However, if your injury or illness was caused by a defective product, you may also have grounds to file a personal injury claim against the product manufacturer.

What Does PA Workers’ Compensation Cover?

Workers’ compensation insurance is required by law for most employers in Pennsylvania, and the majority of all injuries and illnesses caused by work-related accidents or conditions are covered under PA workers’ compensation, regardless of whether or not the employee is at fault for the injury or illness. Workers’ compensation benefits are designed to cover the cost of the medical treatment employees need to recover from their injury or illness, so they can return to work, and partially replace any lost wages the employee sustains during the recovery process. The types of benefits provided by Pennsylvania workers’ compensation include:

• Health care expenses – Surgery, medications, doctor visits, lab tests, necessary medical equipment, etc.
• Partial disability payments – Compensation for employees no longer able to work at full capacity
• Total disability payments – Compensation for employees unable to return to work
• Permanent injury payments– Compensation for employees for loss of a body part
• Death benefits – Compensation for an employee’s spouse and minor dependents, if the employee dies from a work-related injury or illness within 300 weeks after the incident

Contact a Workers’ Compensation Attorney in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania workers’ compensation provides critical benefits for injured workers and their families, but there are important aspects of workers’ compensation law that PA employees should know about. For example, employees injured on the job should inform their employer of the injury within 21 days to receive workers’ compensation benefits as soon as possible. Injured employees who wait more than 120 days to report the injury or illness couldbe barred from recovering compensation.If you have suffered a work-related injury or illness in Pennsylvania, it is imperative that you understand the benefits you are entitled to, as well as the state-mandated requirements for filing a workers’ compensation claim. For more information about the Pennsylvania workers’ compensation system, or to appeal a denied workers’ comp claim, contact an experienced PA workers’ compensation lawyer today.