In a surprising development, we have learned that the Pennsylvania Bureau of Workers’ Compensation will be closing the Northeast Philadelphia Workers’ Compensation Hearing Office (currently located on Grant Avenue in Northeast Philadelphia). This decision came as somewhat of a shock, since only a couple of weeks before, a high ranking…
Ordinarily, to be compensable as a work injury in Pennsylvania, an injury must take place while the injured worker is in the “scope and course” of his or her employment. Interestingly, the phrase “scope and course” is not even mentioned in the Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Act, though the concept, derived…
As most sports fans in the Philadelphia area are aware, the Philadelphia 76ers recently completed a blockbuster trade, netting them star center Andrew Bynum from the Los Angeles Lakers. These same fans are also likely aware that Bynum is heading to Germany for a procedure on his troublesome knees which…
As attorneys who represent injured workers in PA, we are often told by our clients that their doctor or physical therapist is not being paid by the workers’ compensation insurance carrier. Moreover, the client is receiving bills from the provider, maybe even notices from a collection agency. This is a…
When we attended the Annual Workers’ Compensation Conference in Harrisburg, presented by the Pennsylvania Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, more was discussed than just the status of workers’ compensation laws in PA. Though we did certainly have sessions regarding many topical issues with the Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Act, including scope and…
Through the efforts of concerned citizens, and attorney groups united to support injured people, such as the Pennsylvania Association for Justice, there has been no legislation really harmful to the injured workers in Pennsylvania passed since 1996. Unfortunately, it appears there is now a new threat on the horizon, and…
As we have discussed previously, generally, an injury which takes place at work is compensable by Pennsylvania workers’ compensation benefits. Our previous blogging noted one exception, being “violation of a positive work order.” Recently, this issue was again addressed by the PA Courts. In the case of Miller v. Workers’…
Generally, the coverage of employees for Pennsylvania workers’ compensation benefits is mandatory. There are narrow exceptions to this rule, as there are exceptions to most rules. One of those exceptions deals with Section 104 of the Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Act (WCA), wherein an executive officer of a corporation, who holds…
Though it is somewhat less critical since the advent of the Uninsured Employers’ Guaranty Fund (UEGF), the concept of “statutory employer” still has an important place in the Pennsylvania workers’ compensation system. Basically, the theory of statutory employer is used when a subcontractor is the employer of an injured worker,…
We have previously blogged about “specific loss” benefits in Pennsylvania workers’ comp. These are benefits available to an injured worker, other than indemnity (wage loss) and medical. When an injured worker loses the use of a body part (or suffers from facial disfigurement), he or she may be eligible for…