On June 1, 2023 and June 2, 2023, the Pennsylvania Bureau of Workers’ Compensation will hold its 22nd annual “Workers’ Compensation Conference.” Here, attorneys, Workers’ Compensation Judges (WCJs), employer representatives, adjusters, risk management/safety employees and others who work in the world of workers’ comp from across the entire State of…
Pennsylvania Workers' Compensation Lawyer Blog
The Difficulties in Handling Cases Against the PA Uninsured Employers Guaranty Fund
What if an injured worker in Pennsylvanian is employed by a company who (in direct violation of PA law) fails to carry workers’ compensation insurance? Back in the old days, the injured worker, through no fault of his or her own, would be stuck with whatever assets the employer had. …
Injured Worker in PA Entitled to Reimbursement by Workers’ Compensation Insurance for Medical Marijuana
Over the past several years, PA has legalized the use of medical marijuana. Given the current difficulties in dealing with the opioid epidemic, this would seem to be a reasonable tool to help injured workers (and anyone else suffering from chronic pain) deal with their conditions without the use of…
MRI Results Not Foolproof to Show Extent of Work Injury
If you are a football fan, you may have been following the story about Von Miller, star linebacker for the Buffalo Bills. The story is also of interest, however, to injured workers, including those in PA. (Parenthetically, we should note that Miller is, in fact, an injured worker, though the…
Maximum Workers’ Compensation Rate for PA for 2023 Announced
The Pennsylvania Bureau of Workers’ Compensation has announced that the Statewide Average Weekly Wage (SAWW), for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, is $1,273.00. Under the PA Workers’ Compensation Act, this means the maximum compensation rate for work injuries sustained on or after January 2, 2023, will be $1,273.00. …
Work-Related Injury Apparently Fully Recovered Before it Began
Under the Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Act, once an injured worker establishes that he or she has suffered a work-related injury, benefits continue until something happens. That “something” may be the injured worker returning to gainful employment, a doctor finding the injured worker fully recovered, or another change in situation. But,…
Injured Worker in PA Did Not Voluntarily Leave the Workforce; Suspension of PA Workers’ Compensation Benefits Reversed
One of the pitfalls in the Pennsylvania workers’ compensation system is the concept of “withdrawal from the labor market.” Without intending to do anything but receive additional income, an injured worker in PA can easily cause his or her workers’ compensation benefits to stop accidentally. This is one of the…
When to Settle a PA Workers’ Compensation Case
Perhaps the most frequent question we, as attorneys who represent injured workers in PA workers’ compensation cases, receive is, “When can I settle my case?” Such a simple question for such a complicated issue. An entire page of our website is devoted to this “Big” question, as is part of…
Changes Coming to Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Appeal Board (WCAB)
When one receives a decision issued by a Workers’ Compensation Judge (WCJ) in Pennsylvania, one has the right to file an appeal. The first level for this appeal is the PA Workers’ Compensation Appeal Board (WCAB). For about the last 50 years, litigating an appeal before the WCAB has been…
Two Additional Workers’ Compensation Judges Named by the PA Bureau of Workers’ Compensation
Coming on the heels of last month’s announcement from the Pennsylvania Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, advising that two new Workers’ Compensation Judges (WCJs) would be taking the bench, we were surprised to hear more hiring news from the Bureau this month. In addition to the two new WCJs we discussed…