Am I Eligible for Workers' Compensation Benefits?
If you were hurt at work, figuring out if you're eligible for Pennsylvania workers' compensation can be a puzzle. Our law firm has helped over 8,000 injured workers get money for their injuries, so we made a list of some commonly asked questions and answers about eligibility.
Whether you're concerned about your eligibility for workers' compensation or you have other questions, we can help. Call our law firm at 412-394-1000 or fill out the form at the top right of this page for a free legal consultation.
Frequently Asked Questions
- 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?
You may be eligible for workers' compensation payments in Pennsylvania if you:
- Are hurt on the job
- Aggravate a pre-existing injury
- Develop a work-related illness
You're generally not eligible to receive payments if you were hurt while traveling to or from work or during a break.
Probably not. In most situations, you must be paid in some way for your work in order to be covered.
However, some volunteers, such as firefighters, ambulance workers, and special school police, are able to collect Pennsylvania workers' compensation payments.
Yes. Pennsylvania workers' compensation laws allow you to request payment for work-related injuries regardless of fault. But, intentional, self-inflicted injuries are not covered under workers' compensation.
People who have no fixed place of work — like traveling nurses and consultants — are generally covered once they take to the road and are on the clock. For example, in most cases, a traveling salesperson would be eligible to receive payments if injured in a car accident while visiting clients.
Probably not. The general rule is that any personal time taken during the work day — including lunch breaks — would not be covered under Pennsylvania workers' compensation.
It depends on whether the aggravation is a new injury or a recurrence of the old injury. If your medical records show that you have a new injury and that it was related to your current job, you would be able to receive workers' compensation payments.
If you chose to take work home, you would not be covered. However, if your employer specifically asked you to do work at home, you probably are covered.