Boyertown, PA Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
If you live or work in Boyertown, you may be familiar with Workers’ Compensation and how that system is supposed to take care of injured workers after an accident at work. Even if your are not familiar with it, this system and its rules will be incredibly important to your recovery.
Our attorneys work exclusively with injured workers to help them get the benefits they need after an injury. We stand up for workers against their employers and the insurance carriers they use, fighting their attempts to deny coverage and keep workers from getting the replacement wages and medical expenses they need to keep going after getting hurt at work.
For a free review of your injury case, call the Certified Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Specialists at Cardamone Law today at (267) 651-7945.
What is Workers’ Compensation for Boyertown Employees?
If you work anywhere in Pennsylvania, including Boyertown, you are probably covered by a Workers’ Compensation policy. Most employees in the Commonwealth are required to carry this insurance policy to cover their workers’ work-related injuries, getting them the coverage they need without the worker needing to prove who was at fault. It is important to understand what benefits this system provides, what proof is necessary to get coverage, and what our Workers’ Comp lawyers can do to help you.
What Benefits Does Workers’ Comp Provide in Boyertown, PA?
Injured workers should be entitled to claim both coverage for any medical bills as well as a portion of their lost wages when filing for Workers’ Comp benefits.
Medical Bills
If your injury was indeed related to your work, then all medical care costs for the injury should be covered. In the first 90 days of your injury, you might be required to get treatment from a doctor on a list provided by your employer’s insurance carrier, but after that, you can often seek care from a doctor of your choice. Even during those first 90 days, you are usually entitled to a second opinion from a doctor of your choice if you need surgery. If the insurance carrier’s list does not include a specialist in a field you need, you can seek care from a specialist outside the list, as well.
Emergency medical care related to the accident itself should also be covered, so never hesitate to go to the hospital if you get hurt at work. If your employer tries to prevent you from seeking care, contact a lawyer right away.
These medical benefits are supposed to cover any care reasonably related to your injury, including the cost of in-office medical services, mental health counseling, medication, and more.
Lost Earnings
If your injury is severe enough to keep you from working for at least 7 days before you can start receiving lost wages for your injury on the 8th day. If the injury ultimately keeps you from working for at least 14 days, they pay you back wages for the first 7 days as well.
The amount paid is capped at the statewide weekly average wage – which is $1,325 for 2024. Typically, benefits are paid at a rate of 2/3 of your average weekly wages, subject to that cap at the statewide average. However, if your wages are under a certain amount – $993.76 for 2024 numbers – then the amount you receive is fixed at $662.50 per week instead. If your wages are even lower – under $763.11 per week for 2024 – then you receive 90% of your average wage as weekly benefits.
While this does not reimburse you for your full lost wages in any case, it is still a strong trade-off, as all medical bills should be paid for. In many cases, the cost of medical care could be well over half of your typical wage – or even more than your wages could afford – but these amounts are covered in full while your wages are only reduced by a maximum of around 1/3.
Evidence Needed for Coverage Under Workers’ Comp in Boyertown, PA
To prove that your injury is worth Workers’ Comp benefits, you need to show that the injury was work-related. This does not necessarily mean that it happened at your place of business, as many workers have somewhat irregular jobs and might travel or go to other places of business as part of their job. In any case, any injuries related to the tasks you perform for your employer should be covered.
If you had witnesses to the accident, they could help link your injuries to your work tasks. You should also have your doctor analyze the injuries and give an opinion on how the injury happened, as your medical records will be good evidence to help show the accident was work-related, too.
Note that these benefits are usually paid only to “employees.” If you work as an independent contractor, you might not be covered by an employer’s Workers’ Comp policy, and you would not have coverage unless your employer was misclassifying you as a contractor. Our attorneys may be able to look into your situation and find evidence about how you perform your work that shows you should have been classified as an employee, potentially getting you benefits under your “employer’s” coverage.
Lastly, it is important to document your accident and communications with your employer and care providers after the accident. This will all be important in showing the insurance carrier that your injury should be covered and, if they refuse coverage, to help show the courts that they should order the insurance carrier to pay your benefits.
How Our Lawyers Can Help with Your Boyertown, PA Workers’ Comp Claim
As mentioned, your case might have to go before a judge. If the insurance carrier or your employer refuses to cover your injuries for any reason, we might need to get the courts involved to get your benefits paid. Our lawyers can file to overturn the insurance carrier’s decisions about whether your injuries were work-related, their evaluation of whether you are unable to continue working, any considerations as to whether your injuries are total or partial, and other factors in how your case is decided.
Call Our Workers’ Comp Lawyers in Boyertown, PA Today
If you were hurt while working, contact Cardamone Law at (267) 651-7945 for a free review of your case with our Workers’ Comp attorneys.
