While most of your adult life is spent at a job, an employer must provide support for any work-related injury or illness. Regardless of the nature of work, you can get hurt while performing your job.
It may also happen that you get sick due to the nature of your work, or because job conditions cause your illness. Work-related injuries or illness can cause challenges and financial problems such as increasing medical bills. They can also cause job loss in severe cases. Fortunately, if you are injured at work, you may be entitled to Workers’ Compensation benefits that will cover your medical bills and monetary loss.
What is Workers’ Compensation?
Workers’ compensation is an insurance policy that employers in Pennsylvania are required to have. Not every employer carries this insurance, but most employers do. The insurance benefit is used to meet the expenses of an injured or sick employee.
Workers’ compensation applies when someone is hurt while performing his or her job, or if he/she contracts an illness that is related to their work. In this case, an employee can claim compensation for their medical expenses due to injury or illness. If approved, the claim will be paid through the workers’ compensation insurance.
While you are covered by workers’ compensation insurance, you will be paid for the damage regardless of who is responsible. There will be no legal judgment required concerning the percentage of either party’s fault in order to provide you with workers’ compensation benefits.
On the other hand, workers’ compensation insurance protects the interests of the employer. If an employer carries this insurance, then his employees are prohibited from filing a lawsuit against the employer to recover for damages. This is because the workers’ compensation insurance carried by the employer is made available to meet the expenses of workplace injuries or related illnesses of the employees.
However, as an employee, you can still file a lawsuit if you think that your injury was caused by negligence or was caused intentionally. To file a lawsuit, consult a personal injury lawyer who is an experienced Philadelphia Workers Compensation Lawyer.
What are the workers’ compensation benefits available in Philadelphia?
When you get hurt at work or while performing work-related duties, or if you become sick due to the nature of your work, you are entitled to receive workers’ compensation benefits. If you are working in Philadelphia, you are entitled to receive the following workers’ compensation benefits.
- Medical costs- Workers are entitled to receive compensation for all medical expenses caused by a job injury. Workers will be paid for medical bills such as hospitalization, medicines, medical devices, surgery, doctor’s appointments, and other medical expenses.
- Lost wages or lost income- During the time that a worker is unable to work because of a job-related injury or illness, he will be provided with a portion of his lost wages or income.
- Loss of limb or specific injury- If the accident has caused the loss of a limb or has left the worker paralyzed either in whole or in parthis body, he is entitled to receive specific benefits under Workers’ Compensation Benefits.
- Death Benefit- It will be offered to the deceased’s family when he dies within 300 weeks of the work-related injury. The family will be compensated for the expenses related to the funeral and will be supported financially for their loss.
Are you hiring an experienced workers’ compensation attorney?
Though you may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits, you may still be required to file a lawsuit. Insurance companies will always do their best to minimize the compensation that you receive. While your injury may be serious, and may even leave you jobless, you must fight for the compensation that you deserve.
At The Law Offices of Samuel Fishman, we have been fighting for injured workers’ legitimate rights in Philadelphia for more than 15 years. So, please take the opportunity to recover and return to your job while we take care of your legal matters and get you the compensation for your work-related injury you deserve. Our Philadelphia Personal Injury Lawyer is experienced in workers’ compensation law and can guide you effectively to get the compensation you deserve.
