Experienced Pennsylvania workers’ compensation attorneys frequently are involved in cases where an injured worker, no longer able to perform his or her pre-injury job, is referred to other jobs in the community by a vocational counselor, at the request of the workers’ compensation insurance carrier. As lawyers who limit our…
An injured worker in Pennsylvania is generally entitled to be compensated for his or her lost wages (called “indemnity” benefits), and have medical expenses related to the work injury paid. When an injured worker loses the use of certain parts of the body, payment can also be obtained (this is…
It seems like such a basic thing. An injured worker goes to the doctor and gets a prescription. Big deal, right? What is there to think about? Well, maybe it isn’t so simple after all. Maybe there are some questions an injured worker should be asking when getting a prescription.…
Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD), also known as Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) is a horrible condition we see all too often resulting from work injuries. This condition can develop from a traumatic work injury, even what previously seemed to be a relatively minor one. Scientists still do not seem to…
Even when an injured worker receives a decision from the Workers’ Compensation Judge (WCJ) in Pennsylvania, the case is not over. Either side may appeal the decision to the next level, the Workers’ Compensation Appeal Board (WCAB). Such an appeal must be filed within 20 days of the decision of…
One of the tools a workers’ compensation insurance company has in PA to reduce, or “modify,” workers’ compensation benefits is the Labor Market Survey (LMS) (Also called “Earning Power Assessment” (EPS)). This is used when the injured worker has physical limitations which prevent a return to the injured worker’s previous…
Recently, Hazleton, Pennsylvania, was in the news for its efforts to crack down on undocumented, illegal aliens. We also are hearing the Presidential candidates speak about their views on how to handle these people. It might make one wonder how an undocumented, illegal worker is treated under the Pennsylvania Workers’…
Pennsylvania workers’ compensation law is like no other State. I mean no disrespect by that statement; truly, PA workers comp is unique, like in every other State. Unlike Federal laws which may be of concern to an injured worker, such as Social Security Disability (SSD) or the Americans with Disabilities…
There are many things in life that are not fair. At least one of those things rears its ugly head in Pennsylvania workers’ comp. Unless an employee has a contract, or is a member of a union, there is very little protection for the employee from being fired from his…
Typically, in Pennsylvania, workers’ compensation hearings are held in the County in which the injured worker lives. Many Counties in PA have a single hearing location (Allentown for Lehigh County, Reading for Berks County, Easton for Northampton County), while others have multiple locations. For instance, in Montgomery County, hearings are…