Attorney for Injuries at Lehigh Valley International Airport

Workers at Lehigh Valley International Airport (LVIA) could be injured in the course of their duties, setting off damages and expenses that might be impossible to cover while they are out of work.  Workers’ Compensation should be available for most workers, though the rules might differ depending on who you actually work for and what your position is.

Most LVIA workers are employees – as opposed to independent contractors – and most work for employers like the airport or the airline.  These workers typically qualify for Workers’ Compensation under Pennsylvania’s Workers’ Compensation system, allowing them to file against their employer for on-the-job injuries.  However, TSA workers, air marshals, FAA employees, and other federal employees might use the federal Workers’ Comp system instead.

For help with your on-the-job injury case at Lehigh Valley International Airport, call Cardamone Law’s Certified Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Lawyers at (267) 651-7945 right away.

How Workers’ Compensation Covers Injured Airport Workers in the Lehigh Valley

Workers’ Compensation is a system that employers are required to use across the Commonwealth to pay benefits to injured workers.  If you get hurt at work – and you are the type of employee who qualifies for coverage – then you can file your claim with your employer for 2/3 of your lost earnings while you cannot work, for medical coverage, and for other potential benefits for permanent injuries, lost function, facial scarring, lost vision, or lost hearing.  If the claim with your employer and their insurance carrier fails, our attorneys for injuries at Lehigh Valley International Airport can take the claim before a Workers’ Compensation Judge.

Qualifying Workers

As mentioned, Workers’ Comp is for employers; independent contractors usually are not covered.  Any employer operating in Pennsylvania with employees who could be injured in the state must have Workers’ Compensation insurance for their employees.  This means that if you work for the airline, the airport itself, or a vendor/store inside the airport, you should be covered under Workers’ Comp.

The main exception relevant to LVIA workers is that federal employees do not use our system and have their own federal system to file under.  This would cover TSA agents, FAA employees (e.g., air traffic controllers), air marshals, and customs agents.

Qualifying Injuries

For your injury to qualify for benefits under Workers’ Comp, it has to be a work-related injury.  This means that it occurred while you were doing your job tasks or working at your workplace.  Some injuries happen while you are actually doing tasks – such as tearing something in your shoulder when you lift a passenger’s luggage – or just because of dangerous conditions at work – such as icy areas on the tarmac.

Injuries do not qualify for coverage if the victim caused them intentionally, but they can be covered if the worker was the one who accidentally injured themselves.  Injuries are also barred from coverage if they were caused by drinking, drug use, or illegal conduct.

Filing Your Initial Claim

Workers’ Comp insurance actually has the employer as the policyholder, and injured workers notify their employers so the employer can file the claim for payment.  Employers and insurance carriers work hand in hand in making these decisions, and claims are often denied on the grounds that they do not believe the injury was work-related or they believe it was caused intentionally or through another disqualifying issue.

You have to notify your employer of your injury within 21 days of the accident, but notice must be given within 120 days at the latest, or else you cannot get coverage.

Filing in Court

If your employer or their insurance carrier denies your claim, accepts your claim at too low of a value, or simply ignores the claim, we will have to file in court to get your benefits granted.  This starts with a Claim Petition that we file with a Workers’ Comp Judge – special judges that hear Workers’ Comp cases only.

These judges have the final say over your benefits.  To gather evidence, they can order you to undergo medical exams paid for by the employer, but we can also seek outside opinions and exams to counter unfavorable exam results.  At the end of the hearing, the WCJ decides whether you get benefits or not.

Other issues will also go before the WCJ, such as petitions to cancel or modify your benefits, petitions to reinstate your benefits, and petitions for penalties against uncooperative employees.

Injuries Our Lehigh Valley International Airport Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Can Help With

As mentioned, any injuries that take place during your job tasks or because of unsafe conditions at your workplace can typically be filed as Workers’ Comp claims.  For LVIA workers, the following injuries and accidents are common.

Baggage Handler Injuries

Baggage handlers or “throwers” – whatever you want to call them – face some of the highest risk of injuries among airport workers.  Baggage handlers could be injured lifting or carrying individual bags, often suffering arm, shoulder, or back injuries.  They can also be hurt pushing baggage carts or caddies, driving transport vehicles, because of falling luggage, or because of dangerous weather.

One surprisingly common injury involves cuts and slashes from the baggage they handle, potentially from sharp objects in the luggage or broken/jagged edges on zippers.  Most of these cuts and scrapes might not result in lost work, but they could require medical attention and even surgery.

Assault

Airport and airline staff often have to deal with people on their worst behavior.  While assault is not particularly common, it can still qualify you for damages in a Workers’ Compensation claim, especially if you suffered serious enough injuries to require hospitalization.

Falls

Airport and airplane maintenance staff often have to go up on ladders and other high places, potentially facing the risk of serious falls from heights.  Even something like working on the back of a baggage truck means you could fall and face a broken bone, back injury, or serious facial injuries.

This also accounts for slip and falls.  Airports function even in bad weather, and the staff and crew need to get in and out of the building.  Uncleared snow, icy surfaces, wet floors, spills in the bathroom, and even bunched-up carpeting can all be slipping or tripping hazards that could lead to surprisingly serious injuries.  This is especially true if handrails or safety lighting are missing or broken in violation of OSHA regulations.

Call Our Lehigh Valley International Airport Injury Lawyers Today

If you were hurt working at LVIA, call Cardamone Law’s lawyers for injuries at Lehigh Valley International Airport for a free case evaluation at (267) 651-7945.