When you suffer an injury at your job, it can be difficult to know what to do next. You’re likely focused on your injuries and recovering from them, but what about the financial toll this will have on you? You deserve to fully recover in your own time and not have to worry about missing work and other costs you might incur.
That’s where our Danville workers’ compensation lawyer comes in. We’ll look into the accident that happened on the job to injure you, and determine what you’re owed in damages. You might not know the specifics of workers’ compensation, which is why we’re here to help. Our attorneys will guide you through the claim process and ensure you’re supported.
When Should You File for Workers’ Comp?
After getting hurt at work, you might be wondering how you can recover financially from the costs you’re going to incur from medical bills, lost wages, and other costs from your accident and injury. Since you were working when your injury happened, you have a few options. One of those options is a personal injury claim in the form of a work injury claim, however those are only beneficial if you absolutely weren’t at fault for what happened.
Thankfully, there is another option for filing. Workers’ compensation is there for you to file when you get hurt on the job, even if you were partially or totally at fault for what happened. A workers’ comp claim does not take fault into account—all that matters is that you were hurt while working. From there, you can file for workers’ comp to recover for those injuries.
You could feel worried that you shouldn’t file for workers’ comp because you think it could reflect poorly on you, or you work for a large company and are intimidated to go up against them in a claim. You shouldn’t have to worry about these things when filing for workers’ compensation. You got hurt and you deserve to use the benefits that are in place to help you.
When you have our Danville workers’ compensation on your side, you won’t have to worry about the complexities of filing a workmans’ comp claim or worrying about the details. We’ll handle the legal side of things so you can have peace of mind knowing your claim is as strong as possible.
Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Laws
Even when you have a workers’ comp lawyer on your side, it’s important that you understand, or at least aware of, workers’ compensation laws in Pennsylvania. That way, you have a better grasp at what will be involved in your claim in Danville, PA. When there’s aspects of the law you don’t understand, your Danville workers’ comp attorney can answer your questions.
According to the Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Act, all employers in PA are required to have workers’ compensation coverage for their employees. There are a few industry exceptions for this requirement, but overall, most employers are required to have this coverage. They can obtain workers’ comp through a licensed insurer or through the State Workers’ Insurance Fund.
Additionally, workers’ comp coverage begins the day an employee begins their job on the first day. Workers’ compensation covers them if they are injured on the first day of their job, or the thousandth day of their job. It also covers injuries and illnesses that are caused by employment, as well as injuries and illnesses that are a result of an aggravation of a previous condition. This means that an employee’s previous health conditions do not exempt them from coverage if their work aggravates that existing condition.
Another important aspect to know is the time limit you have. In order to file for workers’ comp, you must notify your employer of your injury within 120 days of the date the injury occurred. If your claim is denied, you have three years from the date of the injury to file a petition, according to the PA Department of Labor and Industry.
Occupational disease workers’ comp claims run on a slightly different timeline. To file a workers’ comp claim for an occupational disease after being exposed to a hazard, you have three years from the date the disease or injury was discovered. Additionally, the injury must have occurred within 300 weeks of your last date of employment.
This can all seem complicated and leave you unsure if you’re eligible to file for workers’ compensation in central Pennsylvania. Our Danville workers’ comp lawyer understands that this can all be complex, which is why we’re here to help you every step of the way. We’re knowledgeable about the laws in our state and know when you have a case.
Common Workmans’ Comp Injuries
Now that you have a better understanding of the legal side of your workers’ comp claim, let’s take a look at some of the injuries you could be struggling with when you decide to file for workmans’ comp. It’s important to mention that injuries can happen in any industry, meaning that if you are hurt on job, no matter where you work, you could be eligible to file.
However, there are some industries that are inherently more dangerous than others because of the physical demands or heavy machinery used. Industries like construction, farming, oil fields, transportation, first responders, warehouse, and retail are the most common types of jobs to have injuries on the job.
Here are some of the injuries you could have suffered while working, no matter what industry you’re working in:
- Bruises
- Soft tissue injuries, like sprains and strains
- Cuts
- Burns
- Electrocutions
- Respiratory damage from gases
- Poisoning from toxic chemicals
- Broken bones
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Amputations
- Paralysis
- Crushing injuries
- Cancers
These are only some of the most common injuries you could have suffered from your injury on the job, and if you don’t see what happened to you on this list, you could still have a workers’ comp claim. Our Danville workers’ compensation attorney is here to help you recover from your injury or illness suffered as a result of a hazard on your jobsite.
Stapp Law, LLC Will Support You
When you’ve been hurt on the job, you need support. Our Danville workers’ compensation lawyer is here to do that and more. We’ll guide you through the claim process so you can feel confident that you’re on the best track to get the justice you deserve. Reach out to our firm today so we can get started on your workers’ comp claim.
