When a person becomes sick or injured while they are at work, it is comforting to know that they can receive workers’ compensation. This is a no-fault insurance program that provides employees with benefits that assist them during their time of need. These are provided in the event that the employee is unable to return to work due to their injury or illness. Employees in the state of Pennsylvania are covered under this law from the date they are hired and may receive the benefits from the first day of their injury.
Rights to Benefits for Work Injuries
The Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Act allows employees to receive compensation if they are injured or ill as a result of being at work. This is available without regard to negligence, meaning that an employee may still receive benefits if their own negligence causes or contributes to their injury or illness.
Benefits Under Workers’ Compensation
After becoming sick or injured at the workplace, employees are sometimes unable to return to work. This leaves them without an income to take care of themselves when they are facing certain physical, emotional, and financial damages. It is because of this that workers’ compensation benefits exist as coverage for these damages. In the state of Pennsylvania, some benefits available to an employee can include the following:
- Payments for lost wages: If an employee is totally disabled and incapable of working, or if they are partially disabled and receiving wages less than their pre-injury earnings.
- Death benefits: If the injury or illness causes the death of an employee, the individual’s surviving dependents may receive benefits.
- Specific loss benefits: If the employee permanently loses the use of all or part of their thumb, finger, hand, arm, leg, foot, toe, sight, hearing. This is also payable in the event of a serious and permanent disfigurement on their head, face, or neck.
- Medical care: For reasonable surgical and medical services. This includes medicine, supplies, hospital treatment, orthopedic appliances, and prostheses.
How Do I Receive These Benefits?
After an injury or illness occurs, it is crucial to report the incident to an employer or supervisor as immediately as possible. This provides them with the time, date, and place that it occurred. With this information, the process of receiving workers’ compensation benefits can begin. The failure to do so promptly can cause a delay or denial of the benefits. If an employee is denied workers’ compensation benefits, they can appeal the decision.
Contact our Firm
Friedman Schuman is an experienced and dedicated legal resource for clients throughout Pennsylvania. We proudly serve clients facing a wide range of legal matters. If you require the services of an effective attorney, please contact Friedman Schuman today to schedule a consultation.
