In PA Workers’ Compensation, when the workers’ comp insurance carrier feels the treatment rendered to an injured worker is no longer “reasonable” or “necessary,” the relief is for the insurance company to file for Utilization Review (UR). When a UR is requested, the PA Bureau of Workers’ Compensation randomly assigns…
Generally speaking, employees in Pennsylvania are not entitled to workers’ compensation benefits when the employee is injured commuting to work (known as the “Coming and Going” rule). There are four notable exceptions to this rule. They are that the injured worker: (1) has an employment agreement which includes commuting to…
As discussed in previous blog entries, back in the old days (before the 1996 changes to the Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Act), if a workers’ comp insurance carrier wanted to cut a claimant’s worker’s compensation benefits, the carrier had to refer the person to an actual job lead. If the job…
We have seen in recent decisions rendered by the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania a trend toward punishing injured workers in PA who take any type of disability or retirement package, almost, seemingly, without regard for the reasons. In fact, earlier this month we posted a blog entry regarding Duferco Farrell…
As discussed in previous blog entries, for several years now, the Courts in PA have caused decisions by Pennsylvania’s injured workers to have drastic consequences beyond what an injured worker could reasonably expect. Because of the decision in Pennsylvania State University v. Workers’ Compensation Appeal Board (Hensal), rendered by the…
This being a free Country, a workers’ compensation insurance company in PA cannot “force” an injured worker to get any medical treatment. However, the Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Act permits the suspension of workers’ comp benefits if an injured worker refuses “reasonable” medical treatment (Known as a “Forfeiture” Petition). Often in…
Under the Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Act, an insurance carrier cannot just stop, or even change, payments of workers’ comp benefits. Any change made by the workers’ compensation insurance carrier in PA, without permission of the injured worker, or a Workers’ Compensation Judge (WCJ), may be met with an assessment of…
Typically, in Pennsylvania, a workers’ compensation claim has two important time constraints – a period within which the injured worker must provide notice of the work injury to his or her employer (within 120 days), and a period within which a Claim Petition must be filed with the Bureau of…
When a violation of the Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Act takes place, the proper avenue of relief is to file a Petition for Penalties. This Petition allows a Workers’ Compensation Judge (WCJ) to assess a penalty of up to 50% of the benefits at issue. Typically, this is filed by an…
The Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Act allows a workers’ comp insurance carrier to obtain an “Independent Medical Examination” (IME) [Which, of course, is usually anything but “Independent”] at “reasonable” intervals. If an injured worker refuses to attend an ordered IME, a Workers’ Compensation Judge (WCJ) can suspend the injured worker’s benefits…