A critical stage of a workers’ compensation case in PA can happen if the injured worker is offered a job by his or her employer. This may be the regular job, with or without modifications, or a different job entirely. This is when an injured worker really needs to get representation by an attorney Certified as a Specialist in Workers’ Compensation Law (if he or she has not already done so – many injured workers do not realize that being represented by an attorney DOES NOT COST A DIME unless and until the case goes to court, or the case settles).
Whether (and how) to respond to the employer, and whether to go back and try the job, will always depend on the circumstances in each case. Keep in mind that case law is not friendly to the injured workers in many areas of workers’ compensation law in PA, including this one. For example, the modifications an employer would be willing to make to a job may not need to be stated in the job offer.
This time in a workers’ comp case is a critical one. If the injured worker makes a rash decision, without the benefit of advice from an attorney Certified as a Specialist in Workers’ Compensation Law, the case may be irreparably damaged. Since obtaining the services of an attorney will not cost anything, is there really a reason to handle these things without counsel?