Workers' Compensation Questions and Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

Pennsylvania workers' compensation is a complex legal system. If you are preparing to file or have already filed a claim for workers' compensation, you probably have questions. We've taken the most common questions people ask us and answered them for you. Our answers cover different workers' compensation topics including:

Coverage

• What injuries and illnesses are covered?
• Are repetitive motion injuries such as carpal tunnel covered?
• Who is responsible for providing workers' compensation benefits?
• Are all workers covered?
• Can I sue my employer or co-worker for causing my injury or illness?

Eligibility

• Who is eligible?
• What if I was injured while volunteering?
• Am I eligible even if my work injury was my own fault?
• My job requires travel — or lacks a fixed place of work — and I was injured in a car accident while driving home from work or a work-related event. Am I eligible?
• I was injured on my lunch break - can I file for workers' compensation?
• Can I get work comp if a previous injury was aggravated on my current job?
• What if I was injured at home while doing work for my employer?

Claims

• How long do I have to file a claim in Pennsylvania?
• Can my claim be denied if I don't report the injury in time?
• I live in Pennsylvania but work in a different state. Where do I apply for workers' compensation payments after I'm hurt on the job?
• Can my employer fire me for filing a Pennsylvania workers' compensation claim?
• What forms should I sign? What forms should I not sign?
• What if my employer refuses to file an accident or incident report?
• What should I do if my workers' compensation claim has been denied?
• Is the workers' compensation insurance company allowed to follow me, take photos, and talk to my neighbors?

Payments

• What types of Pennsylvania workers' compensation payments can I receive for a work injury?
• When will I receive my first workers' compensation check?
• How much will I get paid for lost wages?
• Should I accept a lump sum settlement?
• How will taking a light-duty job affect my workers' compensation payments?
• How do I pay my bills while I'm waiting for my workers' compensation payments to start?

Losing Benefits

• Am I in danger of losing my workers' compensation payments?
• How do I know if a request to end my workers' compensation payments has been filed?
• My employer sent me a petition saying my workers' compensation payments should stop on the day I was examined by my employer's doctor. Will my Pennsylvania workers' compensation payments stop?
• I feel like I'm being forced back to work, but I'm not ready to return. Will I lose my workers' compensation coverage if I refuse to return to work?
• If I'm receiving Pennsylvania workers' compensation payments and my employer offers me a light-duty job, do I have to take it?

Medical Issues

• Do I have to see a company doctor for medical treatment of a work-related injury?
• What happens to my workers' compensation payments if the doctor releases me to light-duty work?
• What if the company doctor releases me to go back to work but my own doctor disagrees?
• What if my own doctor says I can go back to work, but I don't think I can?
• Will I be reimbursed for travel expenses related to medical treatment for my work injury?
• If my doctor says I can't return to my original job, does workers' compensation have to pay to send me to school for job retraining?

When Should You Contact Us?

You may be wondering when you should contact our law firm regarding your workers' compensation case. It's best to get legal help as soon as possible and we make it easy – our phones answer 24/7 and you'll receive a free legal consultation.

Contact us if you're wondering:

• Do I have a case?
• Do I need a lawyer?
• How much does it cost?

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