An accident at work can have lifelong consequences. You may be unable to work for some time after the incident. You may also need ongoing medical care for your injury, especially if you suffered a permanent disability.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, private industry employers nationwide reported 2.8 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses in 2022. During the 2-year period between 2021-2022, there were 2.2 million cases where workers had to miss days away from work.
A Williamsport, PA workers’ compensation lawyer helps injured employees secure the full medical and financial benefits, such as missed pay, that they’re entitled to. If you fell ill or were hurt on the job, be sure to reach out to us at Stapp Law, LLC for a free case evaluation to ensure you take the appropriate steps necessary to recover the maximum benefits you’re entitled to.
Workers’ Comp in Pennsylvania
Our state’s workers’ compensation system was developed to ensure that employees can promptly and efficiently receive fair compensation for injuries and illnesses suffered in their workplace.
In 2023, the Pennsylvania Bureau of Workers’ Compensation received 167,000 reports of injuries and illnesses and managed over $2.9 billion in wage and medical benefits to injured workers.
Unfortunately, filing for benefits can be complicated if you are not familiar with state guidelines and procedures. Some employers and their insurers are more concerned with saving money than with helping an injured worker and their family. This is where a workers’ comp attorney in Williamsport can be a great resource to help you better understand your rights.
Have You Been Affected by These Common Workplace Injuries?
Injuries that happen on the job in Williamsport, PA often adversely impact hardworking individuals employed in various industries, such as construction, manufacturing, and office settings, like you. Those affected workers suffer a wide range of injuries in the workplace, including:
- Strains and sprains: These are often caused by workers lifting heavy objects, performing repetitive motions, and assuming awkward positions.
- Head injuries: These commonly result from auto accidents and tools and other items falling on top of construction or warehouse workers’ heads.
- Fractures: Slippery floors in restaurant kitchens or office building entryways can cause these injuries.
- Cuts and lacerations: These injuries frequently occur when employees are using sharp tools, heavy-duty machinery, and office equipment.
- Burns: These infection-prone, disfiguring injuries are common in industries such as food service and manufacturing.
- Electrocutions: Electrical shocks put electricians, maintenance workers, tree cutters, and others who work with or around electricity at risk for serious injuries.
- Repetitive stress injuries: This debilitating condition can develop in those who perform repetitive tasks, resulting in carpal tunnel syndrome or tendonitis.
What To Do If You Have Been Hurt on the Job in Williamsport
If you’ve been involved in an accident or suffered an injury while on the job and are wondering what to do, you should immediately:
- Notify your employer of your injury
- Seek medical treatment
- Fill out an incident report
In an emergency, have someone call an ambulance to your workplace or proceed directly to the nearest emergency care facility. As soon as your condition is stabilized enough to do so, first call your employer to ensure your injury incident is thoroughly documented, then call a Williamsport, PA workers’ compensation lawyer to schedule a legal consultation to discuss your potential claim.
Remember that your employer’s insurance carrier will almost always be working against your best interests to offer the lowest possible payment for your injury or illness. Your attorney can evaluate your claim to determine if there are additional legal avenues available to you in their efforts to ensure you receive the full extent of the benefits you may be entitled to.
Work-Related Disability and Medical Payments
The most common claims for Pennsylvania workers’ compensation benefits involve traumatic work-related accidents at hazardous locations, which include construction sites and oil and gas sites.
Workers’ comp awards may include a variety of different financial benefits, depending on the severity, effects, and duration of the injury.
Injured employees may be eligible to receive:
- Specific loss – such as the loss of a body part
- Total disability benefits or partial disability benefits
- Payments for the time unable to perform work
- Compensation for injuries suffered
- Medical treatment payments
Questions Your Workers’ Comp Attorney in Lycoming County Will Ask You During Your Initial Consultation
At Stapp Law, LLC, we’re here to help you determine what benefits you qualify for and how to pursue them most effectively.
Some of the issues that you can expect your Williamsport workers’ compensation attorney to ask about during your initial meeting with them in an effort to ascertain what compensation you may be entitled to include:
- Whether or not your injury was work-related
- How your injury occurred
- Whether your injury may or may not relate to a prior injury or pre-existing condition
- Whether or not you were technically “on the job” when your injury incident occurred
Depending on the specifics of your case, you may be eligible for total or partial disability benefits and/or a fair value for settlement for your injuries.
Commonly Asked Questions About Workers’ Compensation in PA
Many people have questions about the workers’ compensation process. Here are some common ones, along with our attorneys’ answers:
Can I sue my employer after a workplace accident?
The short answer is no. In most cases, you cannot sue your employer after getting hurt on the job. Instead, you should file a workers’ comp claim. Our state’s workers’ compensation system was designed to prevent excessive lawsuits against employers and to ensure that injured employees get the medical care they need and other benefits, depending on the facts of the case.
Does what caused the injury affect my ability to recover compensation?
The cause of a workplace accident may not matter when it comes to qualifying for workers’ compensation. As long as the injury happened while you were in the course and scope of your work activities, benefits should cover your medical care and replace some of the income lost because of your time off, if applicable.
Whether you tripped on something, suffered an electric shock, or developed carpal tunnel syndrome through your word-processing activities, the fact that your injuries happened on the job in or around Williamsport, PA is what matters.
What if a third party is partly or fully responsible for what happened?
You may have a legitimate claim against a third party if someone other than your employer was partially or fully at fault for the onset of your injuries or illness. The third party may have been an equipment manufacturer, a government entity responsible for putting signs on the highway, a delivery company, or a subcontractor.
If you have a third-party claim, it will be a personal injury case separate from any potential workers’ comp one you might also file.
It’s important to have an attorney who practices personal injury as well as workers’ compensation law helping you if you believe it may be necessary to file a third-party claim.
What if my employer terminated me because I got hurt or filed a workers’ compensation claim?
This question gets into several aspects of employment law. For one thing, an employer should not dismiss a worker solely because he or she was injured on the job or initiated a workers’ compensation claim for benefits.
Under the Shick vs. Shirey case, it is illegal for an employer to fire an employee for exercising their rights under the Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Act.
What if my workers’ comp payments abruptly stop?
You will want to contact a workers’ compensation law firm in Williamsport, PA, like ours, immediately if this happens to you. There may be a misunderstanding or miscommunication somewhere. You may be eligible to bring a claim against your employer’s workers’ compensation insurer. A lawyer can evaluate your case to determine why your payments have stopped and how to get them restarted if possible.
What is the 90-day rule for workers’ comp in PA?
In the Commonwealth, an injured worker must see a panel of pre-approved doctors within 90 days of their workplace accident. If the worker doesn’t schedule a visit with an approved doctor, then they may be ineligible to receive benefits to cover the cost of the visit or treatment.
Taking Quick Legal Action After You’re Hurt on the Job Is Critically Important
If you are considering reaching out to an attorney to discuss your work-related injury or illness, do so quickly. Strict time limits apply to reporting your health concern to your employer, seeking medical treatment, and initiating a Pennsylvania workers’ comp claim.
Workers in Williamsport and the greater Pennsylvania area have three years from the date of their injury to file their workers’ comp claim. Don’t put your right to receive benefits at risk by acting without an attorney’s guidance or by delaying taking action.
Contact a Williamsport, PA Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
Navigating the Pennsylvania workers’ compensation system can be daunting when you don’t have legal expertise.
Here at Stapp Law, LLC, our qualified workers’ compensation lawyers can provide the guidance and advocacy needed to pursue rightful benefits after a workplace injury or illness. Whether it’s filing an initial claim, appealing a denial, or dealing with some other complexity that may arise, a Williamsport, PA workers’ compensation lawyer can make a significant difference in your case’s outcome.
For anyone facing a workers’ compensation issue in Williamsport, consulting with a knowledgeable lawyer is a proactive step toward protecting your rights and securing the compensation you deserve.
Contact us today for a free consultation.