Pennsylvania Workplace Injury Attorneys
What Do I Do If I’m Injured While Working?
Filing a workers’ compensation claim in Pennsylvania can be a complex and tedious process. And the outcome may directly affect you and your family for a lifetime.
Your employer will do everything they can to avoid having to pay you when you file for workers’ compensation. Even if they do pay out, it will be far less than you could have received had you contacted a work injury lawyer and explored your options beforehand.
What Are the Different Types of Work Injuries?
Workplace injuries can be caused by many types of equipment malfunctions or other safety failures due to negligence of employers, contractors, business owners or fellow workers.
As for what are some different types of work injuries, one extremely serious work injury is the loss of a finger, hand, arm, toe, foot or leg (i.e. amputation). According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as many as 10,000 American workers yearly are victims of an amputation injury.
Other severe workplace injuries can include traumatic brain injury (TBI), as well as spinal cord injury, which can result in paralysis. Such injuries often are permanent and life-changing, which makes their costs far greater.
Workers also may suffer a variety of other workplace injuries, including crushed limbs, broken bones, burns, electrical shocks, falls and exposure to dangerous chemicals, which can cause cancers such as leukemia and can be life-threatening.
Construction Injuries
Construction work is one of the most dangerous occupations in America. The most careful worker can be injured on a construction site. And an accident on a construction site can lead to heartbreaking and financially disastrous results.
All of our Pennsylvania construction site accident cases are handled on a contingency fee basis, where we only charge a fee when and if we are successful in obtaining compensation for you. Begin the process today and complete our case evaluation form to get started.
What Are My Rights If I Get Injured at Work?
As for what your rights are if you get injured at work, you have a legal right to file a workers’ compensation claim with your employer who carries such insurance. You also have a right, in some cases, to file a work injury lawsuit against a contractor, fellow worker or business owner, or against an employer who doesn’t carry workers’ comp.
What are Workers’ Comp Laws in Pennsylvania?
Workers’ comp laws in Pennsylvania provide benefits as part of an insurance program that’s managed by the state. This workers’ comp program provides medical benefits and pay to workers who suffer injury or illness due to work. But it also protects employers from civil lawsuits brought by injured workers.
“Can I sue my employer for injury?” you may ask. If your employer has workers’ comp insurance, you cannot. That can be a problem if your workers’ comp benefits alone aren’t enough to pay for your injury costs.
So to answer your question “Do I get paid if injured at work?”, that depends on if your employer has workers’ comp coverage, or if you have grounds for a lawsuit when an employer does not. It also depends on if you could file a third-party lawsuit against a contractor or someone other than your employer.
Can A Lawyer Help If My Employer Has Workers Comp?
You may be asking, “Can a lawyer help me even if my employer has workers’ comp?” The answer is: Yes. Your workers’ comp attorney can help you in many ways, such as ensuring that you meet all deadlines.
Your workers’ comp lawyer also can determine if you should sue a third party for your work injury. Though you cannot sue a Pennsylvania employer who has workers’ comp insurance, you can sue contractors, parts suppliers, transportation providers and other third parties whose negligence contributed to your injury on the job.
Your Pennsylvania attorney for workers’ comp can fight to gain all payments possible for you. Having an attorney can be vital if your employer disputes the severity of your injury, what medical treatments are covered, your impairment rating, when you should return to work and what your overall benefits should be.
Your workers’ comp lawyer also can fight for you on appeal if your claim is denied, via many stages of dispute resolution.
Different Kinds of Workers’ Comp Benefits
Workers’ comp coverage comes with different kinds of benefits including income, medical, death and burial.
Income benefits provide part of the wages that a worker loses due to a work-related injury or illness. They also pay for permanent impairment to a worker’s body.
Medical benefits provide payments for reasonable and necessary medical care to treat a work injury or illness.
Death benefits replace part of the missing income for eligible family members of workers who are killed at work.
Burial benefits pay for some of the deceased worker’s funeral costs.
Hire a Workplace Injury Lawyer Today!
As you can see, it can be vital that you get a Pennsylvania work injury lawyer to handle your case. OHDP Law stands ready to guide you through the legal process and help you claim the maximum benefits to which you and your family are legally entitled.
Contact an experienced work injury attorney with our law firm today. We will quickly provide you with a free legal review of your case. Then, if you choose, we can get started helping you claim the work injury benefits that you need and deserve.
If you were injured in a workplace accident as a result of the negligence of others, call our office for a free consultation at (570) 348-3711 or fill out our free case evaluation form.