Can I File a PA Workers’ Compensation Claim Without a Doctor?

First of all, what is a Claim Petition? A Claim Petition is filed with the Workers’ Compensation Office of Adjudication if an injury claim is denied by your employer’s workers’ compensation carrier. If you are injured while working in the course and scope of your employment, you report the same to your employer and they […]

Can Doctor Restrictions Affect your Workers’ Compensation Case?

If you are receiving workers’ compensation benefits, your own treating doctor or a doctor hired by the workers’ compensation carrier may ask you to undergo a Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCEs) to determine what, if any, category of work that you are capable of performing. The goal of the workers’ compensation carrier is to eventually get you back to […]

PA Worker’s’ Comp Continues Uninterrupted Amid Pandemic

Since mid-March 2020 when most everything went into “lock-down” in Pennsylvania, one practice did not, and that was the practice of PA Workers’ Compensation. Through the efforts of the Workers’ Compensation Office of Adjudication, a division of the Bureau of Labor & Industry and Governor Wolf’s office, the practice did not miss a beat. All […]

How Do I Know if my Workers’ Comp Claim was Reported by my Employer?

Filing a workers’ compensation claim is a time-bound process in Pennsylvania. If you fail to file the claim in a timely manner, your benefits could be delayed, or you might lose your right to seek benefits altogether.  In some cases, the claim process might be delayed due to the negligence or deliberate inaction of your […]

Workers’ Compensation While Working From Home

With a growing number of companies boosting their digital infrastructure, work-from-home (WFH) is becoming an increasingly popular concept for businesses. However, this has given rise to an important question: what happens when a remote worker suffers an injury while working from home? Are you still eligible to receive workers’ compensation for your injury? Let us […]

COVID-19 Contracted in the Workplace and PA Workers’ Compensation

According to the PA Department of Labor and Industry, “an illness caused by work exposures can be considered an injury or an occupational disease.” Under the PA Workers’ Compensation Act, when a person suffers an illness, it can either be categorized as a work related “injury” or an “occupational disease”.  An “injury” in PA workers’ […]

Pennsylvania Workers Affected by COVID-19

If you have tested positive for COVID-19 after being exposed at work, you may be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits. This type of illness may be considered an injury or an occupational disease. Occupational diseases are identified in the PA Workers’ Compensation Act. Contracting COVID-19 at your place of work would most likely be considered […]

Can An Employee Be Laid Off While Receiving Workers’ Comp?

A layoff can be legal even while you are receiving workers’ compensation. But despite being laid off, you may be legally entitled to continue receiving your benefits until you are medically fit (released) to work. However, when this happens, your former employer will not rehire you as you were already laid off. Assess Your Employer’s […]

Celebrating Labor Day in Pennsylvania With a Focus on Workers’ Compensation Act

To mark the approaching Labor Day, it would be befitting to focus on how the Workers’ Compensation Act in Pennsylvania has evolved over time.  The Enactment of Pennsylvania’s Law on Workers’ Compensation: A Brief History The Pennsylvania Workers’ Comp Act came into force in 1915. Prior to this Act, injured workers in the state were […]

How long do I have to be employed to be eligible for workers’ comp benefits?

In Pennsylvania, you are eligible for workers’ compensation benefits from day one!  As long as you are working your job, as defined by your job description and you are injured, making you unable to work your job, you can file a claim for workers’ compensation benefits.  You must meet the following requirements, however, to be […]