Center Valley Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
If you pull your back at work or suffer a serious fall, this is usually considered a work-related injury. Along with these, industrial accidents, fires, and even injuries during travel for work can all be covered under Workers’ Comp.
No matter what kind of employer you have, your work-related injuries should be covered. This pays for medical expenses to treat your injury. It also covers replacement wages for as long as you are out of work, plus up to 500 weeks for partial disability. All of this comes on top of payments for certain permanent injuries.
For help getting your Workers’ Comp claim paid, call Cardamone Law’s Certified Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Lawyers right away at (267) 651-7945.
What Industries Are Covered Under Workers’ Compensation?
Center Valley has a broad mix of people from various socioeconomic statuses. From factory workers to engineers to office workers, Workers’ Compensation should cover nearly everyone in Center Valley.
The core requirement for Workers’ Comp coverage is that you are an employee. This rules out many self-employed workers, such as independent contractors and small business owners, but it does cover most other workers.
As long as your injury qualifies as work-related and you did not cause it intentionally, through illegal acts, or through drug/alcohol use, your injury should be covered.
Does Workers’ Comp Cover White-Collar Workers?
Employees in white-collar industries are also covered under Workers’ Comp. It may seem strange to think of Workers’ Comp covering office workers, but there are many injuries that engineers, doctors, lawyers, investment advisors, and other white-collar workers can face on the job.
Even office jobs can result in strange situations and accidental injuries. Things like lifting boxes, repetitive stress/carpal tunnel injuries from typing, and even on-the-job assault can all be covered.
How to Claim Workers’ Compensation Benefits in Center Valley
A Work Comp claim begins by filing notice with your employer. They then notify their insurance carrier about the claim, investigate, and – typically – deny you benefits. You have to notify them before 21 days is up, and they usually get 21 days to respond.
From the denial, our lawyers can file a Claim Petition in court. This goes before a Workers’ Comp Judge, not a typical Common Pleas judge like a lawsuit. This specialized judge schedules a hearing where they will go over the evidence we present and decide on your case.
If you are denied at that level, further appeals go to the Workers’ Comp Appeal Board and then the Commonwealth Court – a statewide court that deals with regulatory and Workers’ Comp appeals. If that court still goes against you, we can appeal all the way to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
However, most claims never get that far. Employers and Workers’ Comp carriers are often willing to settle, which can give you all the benefits you would get as ongoing payments all in one lump sum.
How Much is My Workers’ Comp Settlement Worth?
Our lawyers can help settle your case by negotiating with the insurance carrier and employer, all with the goal of getting your benefits paid in one lump sum (or over time in an annuity). To calculate what your claim is worth, we need to examine the specific facts of your case for these three areas of benefits:
Medical Costs
Medical care should all be covered, including future care needs. If you have reached maximum medical improvement and no longer need ongoing care, then we only have the previous medical bills to worry about. Otherwise, we can get reports from medical and financial experts about how much you need for future care.
Wage-Loss/Indemnity Benefits
If your injury disabled you for any period of time, you suffered a reduction in earning capacity that needs to be compensated. These wage-loss benefits are paid as 2/3 of your lost earnings in most cases.
For total disabilities, you get 2/3 of your average wage for as long as you cannot work. If you make over $2,020.50/week (2025 numbers), you hit the cap of $1,347/week. If you make under $1,010.26/week, you get either 1/2 that cap or 90% of your wage, whichever is lower.
If you are partially disabled and can work with accommodations or reduced tasks/hours, then you get 2/3 of the difference in what you made before and what you make after the injury. These last up to 500 weeks, though your disability status may switch back and forth between total and partial.
Specific Loss
If you suffered an amputation, loss, lost function, lost hearing, lost sight, or serious facial scars, you get additional payments. These are also 2/3 of your lost wages, but the number of weeks you get paid is listed in the statute for each injury.
When Should I Accept or Deny a Settlement Offer?
Never accept a settlement offer before speaking with a lawyer. Workers’ Compensation Judges usually need to hold a hearing to ensure you understand the terms of your settlement, and they will want to see that you conferred with a lawyer before giving up any rights to further compensation.
Settlements are most reliable when your benefits are clear and there are unlikely to be any surprises with your injury. For example, an injury that has already healed and left you disabled for life will have all medical bills already charged and wage-loss payments will last until retirement age. Contrast this with work-acquired cancer, where your condition could get better and worse again, creating surprise medical expenses left and right.
Our attorneys can help you understand whether your case is a good candidate for settlement, how it might interact with future Medicare coverage if you are near retirement age, and whether the settlement fairly accounts for all benefits.
When Should I Call a Workers’ Comp Lawyer?
You should act as quickly as you can to get representation after an injury. Your employer or their insurance carrier will try to shut down claims or settle them quickly, potentially leaving you with nothing – or at least less than they should have. Having a lawyer on your side can help you avoid that and get full payment for your injury.
Call Our Workers’ Comp Lawyers in Center Valley Today
Call (267) 651-7945 for your free case assessment with the Workers’ Comp lawyers at Cardamone Law today.
