Workers' Compensation

What Is Workers' Compensation?

Pennsylvania’s Workers' Compensation laws provide money and medical benefits to an employee who has been injured on the job as a result of an accident or an occupational disease. In Workers Compensation, the employee receives money and medical benefits in exchange for forfeiting the common law right to sue the employer. The employer benefits by receiving immunity from court actions against them by the employee. The question of negligence or fault is usually not at issue.

Do you have a claim? Click here to use our free consultation form. You may have a Workers’ Compensation Claim if you answer “yes” to any of the following questions:

• Have you been injured while at work?
• Have you had to miss work due to an injury that occurred while you were on the job?
• Have you lost wages due to missing work because of an injury that occurred at work?
• Do you have medical bills that were the result of an injury sustained at work?

If you answered yes to any of these questions you may be eligible for workers compensation benefits.

Frequently Asked Questions :

1. Due to my injury, I’m currently out of work, so I have no money to hire an attorney. Can I still hire an attorney?



• Yes. Workers’ Compensation attorneys are paid a percentage of the amount they are able to get for you. Therefore, you don’t need any money to hire a workers' compensation attorney, and your lawyer will not get anything unless and until you get paid for your injury.



2. I do a lot of typing at work and now have Carpel Tunnel Syndrome. Are occupational diseases covered by workers' compensation?



• Mostly, yes. Generally, occupational diseases are covered under the Workers' Compensation Act if caused by or aggravated by your work. You will want to consult with an attorney as soon as possible to ensure you get the proper care and meet all the required deadlines.



3. I was injured in my part time job. Am I still covered for my injury?



• Pennsylvania Workers' Compensation Act covers almost all Pennsylvanian employees. Employers, whether they have one employee or many, must provide workers' compensation coverage to all of their employees. Employees covered by workers’ compensation include full-time, part-time and seasonal staff, resident aliens and even illegal immigrants.



4. Will workers’ compensation pay for my injury-related medical treatment?



• An injured worker who receives workers' compensation benefits is entitled to receive medical treatment for the work related injury.



5. Must I see the doctors that my employer sends me to, or can I see my own doctor to treat my work-related injury?



• It depends. In most cases, an injured worker must use the company doctor for a period of 90 days following a reported injury. However, there are a exceptions to this rule. This is an important issue and one of the many reasons why you should discuss your case with a Workers’ Compensation attorney as soon as possible.



6. I wasn’t paying attention to the machine I was operating and, due to my own fault, my hand became caught and an injury resulted. Am I still covered?



• Yes. Even if the injury resulted from your own act of negligence, you are still covered.



7. My work-related injury occurred over a year ago. Am I out of time to file a claim?



• No you are not out of time, but you must be aware that there is a time limit. You must file your claim for a work-related injury within three years from the date of the injury



8. If I should get benefits under the existing Workers’ Compensation laws, how much of my wages will I get?



• Workers' compensation benefits are based on the workers' average weekly wage. Usually, the amount is two-thirds of the average weekly wage.