What Happens If I Receive A Notice Of Suspension Of Benefits?
If you have received a Notice of Suspension of Benefits while on workers’ compensation, do not hesitate to contact a lawyer right away. If you do not take action immediately, your wage loss checks will stop.
A Notice of Suspension of Benefits means that your employer filed a petition to suspend your wage loss benefits. When your employer files the petition, it means that your checks for lost wages will end even though you will continue to collect medical benefits.
Contact a Harrisburg Workers’ Compensation Attorney
You should contact a Harrisburg workers’ compensation attorney as soon as possible when you receive the notice. A lawyer may be able to prevent your employer from suspending your wage loss benefits.
Having an attorney on your side can ensure that you can successfully challenge the employer’s petition. You can prevent your employer from terminating your workers’ comp benefits if you can prove that you cannot return to work.
Notice of Suspension of Benefits: Can You Return to Work?
The key question when challenging the employer’s petition to suspend your wage loss benefits is, “Can you return to work?” It is not uncommon for injured employees to be able to return to work in a limited or temporary light-duty capacity.
Accepting an employer’s offer of light-duty work helps you start earning income while recovering from your work-related injury. Often, however, this means being forced to work in a different capacity while making substantially less than you were before the injury.
In fact, many employers pressure their injured workers to work in a different capacity just to be able to suspend their wage loss benefits even when the worker is not able to fulfill the duties.
If you are unable to return to work while receiving workers’ compensation benefits, you may be able to challenge your employer’s attempts to suspend your benefits. Contact a knowledgeable attorney to discuss your options.
How to Challenge the Employer’s Petition to Suspend Benefits?
Under Pennsylvania law, the employer can ask an injured work sign a Supplemental Agreement upon their return to work while receiving workers’ compensation benefits.
Unfortunately, many claimants do not understand what they are signing. That is why it is not advised to sign anything when you return to work or at any point while receiving workers’ compensation benefits until you consult with your attorney.
Even if you already signed the notice or agreement, your attorney might still be able to challenge your employer’s attempts to suspend your benefits.
What to Do if My Wage Loss Benefits Have Been Suspended?
Even if you have received a Notice of Suspension of Benefits, your medical benefits would still continue despite the suspension of your wage loss benefits. If you cannot work at your full capacity to earn as much as you did before the injury, having your wage loss benefits suspended can put you in a tough financial situation.
If that’s the case, you should contact a Harrisburg notice of modification or suspension lawyer as soon as you receive the notice. Our workers’ compensation lawyers at Ira H. Weinstock, P.C., may be able to help you challenge your employer’s attempt to suspend your benefits. Schedule a case review by calling 717-238-1657.
