It is comforting for employees to know that they can receive workers’ compensation if they become injured or sick on the job. Workers’ compensation is a no-fault insurance program that provides employees with benefits to assist them while they are unable to return to work due to an injury or illness. In the state of Pennsylvania, employees are covered under this law from the date they are hired. They may receive these benefits from the first day of their injury.
Rights to Benefits for Work Injuries
Employees who suffer from injuries or illnesses during employment are entitled to compensation under the Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Act. This is without regard to negligence. It is because of this that even if an employee negligently causes or contributes to their injuries, they may still receive these benefits.
Benefits Under Workers’ Compensation
Employees are entitled to receive certain benefits if they become sick or injured while at their place of employment. This is because these situations usually lead to certain physical, emotional, and financial damages. During this time, the last thing the individual needs is to worry about how they will afford these costs if they are lacking an income due to their inability to return to work. It is because of this that workers’ compensation provides coverage for these damages. In the state of Pennsylvania, some benefits an employee may receive are as follows:
- Payments for lost wages: This is payable in the event that an employee is totally disabled and incapable of working, or if they are partially disabled and receiving wages that are less than their pre-injury earnings.
- Death benefits: If the injury or illness results in the death of an employee, the individual’s surviving dependents may receive benefits.
- Specific loss benefits: This is payable 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 true in the event of a serious and permanent disfigurement on their head, face, or neck.
- Medical care: Employees are entitled to receive payment for reasonable surgical and medical services. This includes medicine, supplies, hospital treatment, orthopedic appliances, and prostheses.
How Do I Receive These Benefits?
It is important to report an injury or illness to an employer or supervisor as immediately as possible. This provides them with the date, time, and place that it occurred. It also allows the process of receiving workers’ compensation benefits to begin. The failure to report an incident promptly can result in the delay or denial of these benefits. In the event that an employee is denied workers’ compensation benefits, the decision can be appealed.
Contact our Firm
If you or a loved one has been in a personal injury accident in Pennsylvania, it’s important that you contact an experienced Philadelphia personal injury attorney to help you with your case and to make sure that you are not taken advantage of. Contact Spear Greenfield to get the right attorney in your corner.
Call or text (215) 985-2424 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form