Notice of Ability to Return to Work is Required . . . Or Perhaps Not
We have been following the case of School District of Philadelphia v. Workers’ Compensation Appeal Board (Hilton) through the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania decision, and into the Supreme Court of PA. As you might recall, this case deals with whether a Notice of Ability to Return to Work must be issued in the context of a Claim Petition. Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court has now issued a decision in this matter, clarifying the status.
For background, to recap things, this case featured a teacher who injured her vocal cord and aggravated her preexisting lupus (remember that an aggravation of a preexisting injury is a “new injury” under PA workers’ comp, and is completely compensable). After the injury, but before she filed a Claim Petition, a job was offered in a class/school where she would not be exposed to the same stress level (which had led to her injuries). She did not go back to work, and a few months later filed a Claim Petition. A Notice of Ability to Return to Work was never issued.
After hearing the evidence, the Workers’ Compensation Judge (WCJ) granted the Claim Petition, but suspended benefits as of the date the new job was offered. The Workers’ Compensation Appeal Board (WCAB) affirmed the granting of the Claim Petition, but reversed the WCJ, finding that benefits should not have been suspended. Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania then reversed the WCAB, and said the WCJ was correct in suspending the benefits.