Harrisburg Union Member Workers Compensation Lawyer
12 percent of Pennsylvania workers are part of a union, totalling 665,000 individuals, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Many of these types of employment bring a higher level of danger, either due to toxic exposure or injuries, than non union jobs. As such, many union laborers are at a higher risk than your average worker. With over 100 years of combined experience serving injured clients in workers’ compensation claims, the Harrisburg union member workers compensation lawyers at Ira H. Weinstock, P.C. have the ability to take on and win even the most challenging cases.
What Benefits is an Injured Union Worker Entitled To?
Workers’ compensation provides two types of benefits: medical and partial wage replacement. Most workers are covered under Pennsylvania’s workers’ compensation act, though others (such as railroad workers, federal employees, and a few others) are covered under federal workers’ compensation laws. Medical benefits include complete coverage of treatment for the injury or illness by a provider of your employer’s choosing, while wage replacement caps out at two-thirds of the workers’ average weekly wage. These financial wage-replacement benefits can be for the following degrees of injuries:
- Partial disability temporary;
- Partial disability permanent;
- Total disability temporary; or
- Total disability permanent.
You May Be Able to Increase Your Benefits Through Collective Bargaining
One of the many benefits of being in a labor union is the process of collective bargaining. Collective bargaining, which is the process of negotiations between the union and employer about wages and other benefits, is typically used to increase workers’ compensation benefits as well. While the average, non-union, worker is entitled to nothing more than medical coverage and partial wage replacement following a worker-caused injury or illness, union workers often recover more, due to the pressure that is placed on their employer during collective bargaining. In some cases, the union’s workers’ compensation claim benefits and process mirrors Pennsylvania state law. But in others, there may be additional benefits that supplement those that are state-mandated. As such, it is important to work with an attorney who has handled union laborer workers’ compensation claims before.
Union Welfare Funds
Another area in which union laborer workers’ compensation claims may differ is through a union welfare fund. If a union welfare fund exists within your union, employers are required to contribute to such a fund for injured or ill employees, who then have access to these funds as part of their injury benefits.
Call a Union Member Workers Compensation Injury Attorney Today
As an injured worker, you need to start receiving medical care and wage replacement benefits as soon as possible to ensure physical, as well as financial, recovery. Your employer may have a different objective though. Many employers and insurance providers deny workers’ compensation claims for the sole purpose of keeping their premiums low, or maximizing profit, respectively. Their tactics include arguing that you were not injured on the job, the injury is not as significant as you say it is, it is simply a preexisting injury, and more. Our union member workers’ compensation injury attorneys at the law firm of Ira H. Weinstock, P.C. will ensure that you are fully compensated. Call 717-238-1657 today to schedule a free consultation.
