Abiding by PA Workers’ Comp Act Not “Willful Misconduct” For Unemployment Compensation
We rarely discuss Pennsylvania appellate cases other than those directly involving workers’ compensation. However, a recent unemployment compensation case touches on the workers’ compensation process, and may be of interest to our readers.
The case is Paolucci v. Unemployment Compensation Board of Review, recently decided by the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania. To understand the case, and its impact on the workers’ compensation system, some background is necessary. In July, 2010, the injured worker suffered a concussion while working for Wal-Mart. The injury was accepted by Notice of Compensation Payable, and workers’ compensation benefits began. An Independent Medical Examination (IME; to the extent one considers these “independent”) found the injured worker able to go back to work; the treating physicians disagreed. The attorney for the injured worker told Wal-Mart that all communication with the injured worker was to be through the attorney’s office. Some type of job offer was apparently made, but the injured worker did not go back to work. The workers’ comp case then settled.
After the settlement, the injured worker filed for unemployment compensation benefits (interestingly, it is common practice for the employer/insurance carrier to require a voluntary resignation as part of a workers’ compensation resolution; that was not done in this case). An unemployment compensation referee awarded unemployment compensation benefits.