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Almost every person who is classified as an employee for a company operating in Pennsylvania, whether part-time or full-time, is covered by their employer’s workers’ compensation insurance in the event they get hurt or ill performing job-related duties. As a tradeoff for sacrificing the right to file suit against their employer over such an injury, this system, in theory, allows injured workers to receive compensation for out-of-pocket losses without having to prove anyone at fault for the accident.
In practice, though, getting the workers’ compensation benefits you should be entitled to by law can be a frustratingly challenging process without a seasoned attorney’s support. A knowledgeable Bala Cynwyd workers’ compensation lawyer can assist with navigating state laws and restrictions on claims of this nature and demand the restitution you deserve.
What Can Workers’ Compensation Cover in Bala Cynwyd?
In Pennsylvania, workers’ compensation covers any injury, disease, or other harmful medical condition that is caused directly by a worker’s job, or through the performance of tasks directly related to a worker’s job. Both occupational diseases and aggravations of pre-existing injuries may qualify as grounds for a claim, although both can be somewhat complicated to pursue benefits for.
Injured workers who complete all necessary steps in the claims process and provide appropriate documentation of their injuries should be eligible for reimbursement of all reasonable medical expenses, including travel expenses, physical therapy costs, and prescription medications. Additionally, injured workers can receive a portion—generally about two-thirds, with different rates for high-earning workers and based on certain other factors—of their average weekly wage for each week their injury or illness keeps them out of work.
Finally, if a workplace accident or disease leaves a worker permanently disabled, the injured worker may be entitled to long-term partial or total disability benefits, as well as reimbursement for services like job retraining in certain circumstances. A Bala Cynwyd workers’ compensation attorney can clarify on a case-by-case basis what benefits might be available.
What to Do After an On-the-Job Injury
State law requires any worker who gets hurt on the job and intends to file for workers’ compensation benefits to notify their employer of their condition within 21 days of its occurrence in most situations, with a maximum deadline of 120 days after the condition first arises. It is always best practice to notify employers even of small on-the-job injuries, since that early notice may be essential to seeking benefits if the condition worsens later on.
Once notice is given and the claims process starts, it is vital for an injured or ill worker to attend all their doctors’ appointments, follow all instructions from their physicians, and keep paper records of all the treatments they received and bills they were sent for services rendered. A workers’ compensation lawyer in Bala Cynwyd can provide crucial assistance compiling all this information into a strong and comprehensive claim.
Seek Help from a Bala Cynwyd Workers’ Compensation Attorney
As anyone who has ever been caught up in a serious workplace accident knows, being hurt at work can be physically, financially, and psychologically debilitating. Even if you only miss a few days’ worth of wages, that lost income could have resounding effects for months afterwards—to say nothing of how life-altering these accidents can be.
If you were injured on the job, do not wait to take legal action. A Bala Cynwyd workers’ compensation lawyer can help you pursue the payments you need to make things right. Give us a call today to get started.
