Tag Archives: Workers Comp Benefits
2017 Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Rates Released
Every year, the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry determines the maximum workers’ compensation rate for injured workers who sustain an injury and associated wage loss for that year. For injured workers who sustain wage loss for the period of January 1, 2017 through December 31, 2017 the maximum amount of workers compensation the… Read More »
2017 Brings Modest Social Security Disability Increase
There is good news and bad news for recipients of Social Security Disability and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. The good news is that monthly benefit amounts will increase for 2017. The bad news is that the increase will only be .3 percent for cost of living adjustments (COLA). Since 1975, Social Security’s general… Read More »
DO I NEED MY DOCTOR TO TESTIFY FOR MY PENNSYLVANIA WORKERS’ COMPENSATION CASE?
The simple answer is maybe. It depends on the length and severity of your injury as well whether the injury was obvious. An obvious injury has been found to be one where an employee is doing something at work that “requires force or strain and pain is immediately experienced at the point of force… Read More »
Ways the Insurance Company Can Stop Your Workers’ Compensation Benefits – the Independent Medical Examination
A favorite tactic of insurance companies to stop both your weekly benefits and your right to ongoing medical care is to an “independent” medical examination or “IME.” This is usually a 5-10 minute “exam” by a doctor that is paid by the insurance company to examine you and issue a report regarding the status… Read More »
Occupational Diseases and Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation
A recent Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court case has found that a deceased firefighter was not eligible for Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation benefits after the firefighter died from gastric cancer. In City of Williamsport v. Workers’ Compensation Appeal Board the Fatal Claim Petition, filed by the Decedent’s wife, alleged that Decedent’s death from gastric cancer in October… Read More »
What is a Mediation in Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation?
If you have an open workers’ compensation case in Pennsylvania there’s a strong chance that at some point you may have to appear in front of a Workers’ Compensation Judge, especially if you have a serious injury that may prevent you from returning to your pre-injury job. If you have an accepted workers’ compensation… Read More »
Pennsylvania Unemployment Compensation and Workers’ Compensation: Can I Get Both?
Yes you can. However, your eligibility for both will be determined based on a variety of factors. If you were fired, the employer will be required to prove that you were fired for willful misconduct. If the employer fails to meet that burden, you will be eligible for unemployment benefits. It’s not uncommon that… Read More »
Employment Protections under the Pennsylvania Medical Marijuana Act
Much has been discussed regarding the employment protection provisions of Act 16 of 2016 (the Medical Marijuana Act), formerly Senate Bill 3. It has been widely noted that the Act contains language protecting the jobs of patients who are patients approved to use medical marijuana. However, the Act separately contains exceptions to the patient… Read More »
PENNSYLVANIA SUPREME COURT TO DECIDE IF INJURED WORKER WAS WITHIN THE COURSE AND SCOPE OF HIS EMPLOYMENT WHEN ATTEMPTING TO AID ANOTHER EMPLOYEE IN PENNSYLVANIA WORKERS’ COMPENSATION CASE
In order for an injured worker in Pennsylvania to be eligible for Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation benefits, the injured worker must be within the course and scope of her employment. The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania has decided to hear an appeal from an employer to consider whether or not a worker injured when coming to… Read More »
Have I Been Wrongfully Discharged?
We often receive calls from employees who have been “wrongfully terminated” from their jobs. Many of these unfortunate people have performed their jobs for many years without incident and then out of the blue they are let go. Others have been employed for short periods, have had no prior warnings or discipline and they… Read More »