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The Official Partner of the American WorkerSM
$2.2 Million
Spinal Injury
$897,000
Lower Back Injury

What to Do After You Get Hurt at Work in Philadelphia

A common question for injured workers in Pennsylvania is what happens after they get hurt. Note- all cases are unique. These are general guidelines. You should speak to me or another experienced Pennsylvania Work Comp Lawyer to discuss the details of your situation.

Call an Experienced Workers Compensation Attorney

Our experienced Philadelphia Workers’ Comp attorneys will help navigate your unique supersedeas obstacle and work with you to ensure your benefits continue so you can heal without distraction or worry.

We are a niche law firm with specialization and a focus on the PA workers’ compensation system. We know how it works and how to move it to help provide relief and aid to injured workers in Pennsylvania.

Give Your Employer Notice

The first step is Notice. This is a critical element of a viable workers’ compensation claim. You must give notice within 120 days or the claim is forever barred. But you want to give notice immediately upon realizing that you were injured while working. Otherwise, the wage loss benefits can be delayed. Does notice have to be written? No, but that’s always stronger than verbal notice. Tell a manager or supervisor or owner how you got injured, what you were doing that caused it, and what you injured.

Once you are injured at work, you must report the injury.  Once you report the injury, the Employer/Insurer has 21 days to issue one of 3 documents:  1) A Notice of Compensation Payable which accepts your claim, 2) A Notice of Temporary Compensation Payable which temporarily accepts your claim for up to 90 days as it investigates, or 3) A Notice of Compensation Denial which denies acceptance for your work injury.

File an Incident Report

Next, ask if you need to fill out an incident report. Also ask if the Employer has a list of “panel” doctors– these are employer picked doctors that treat an injured worker for the first 90 days. However, there are exceptions to this rule so contact us to find out how or if you can circumvent this requirement. Panel doctors tends to be family physicians who are biased towards the Employer and who usually minimize the nature of the injury- often chalking up the diagnoses as a “sprain” or “contusion.”

Make sure to contact us. The earlier the injured worker lawyers up, the better. Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Law is quite complicated and the insurers have guidance from attorneys on their side- so should you! All fees under the PA Work Comp Act are contingent- meaning we must have a Court Order approving a fee to get paid. And we cover costs. You should never pay a Bethlehem Workman’s Comp attorney an hourly rate. We get 20% of wage loss benefits but only if we get wage loss benefits for you, settle the case, prevent the insurer from reducing your benefits, or otherwise improve your case such as by adding work-related diagnoses by way of a Petition to Review.

Understand Your Company’s Employee Handbook and Policies

Make sure you get a Notice of Compensation Payable, a Temporary Notice of Compensation Payable, or a Notice of Denial within 21 days of when you gave notice of your injury. Ask your claims rep to send you a copy of whichever of these documents he/she filed. If you are getting work comp checks, ask for a copy of a Statement of Wages to see how they calculated your average weekly wage and compensation rate.

Read your company handbook carefully to make sure you follow protocols for calling out sick, presenting doctor’s notes, etc.  Employers are often trying to terminate injured workers after a work injury- and they know they cannot retaliate and terminate an employee merely because they are injured or pursuing Pennsylvania Work Comp benefits- but they can terminate an employee for many other reasons.

Fill Out Any Papers Your Employer Requests

Fill out any papers given to you by your employer such as an incident report. You should do this after speaking with your attorney.

Be Careful or Avoid Speaking About Your Incident

If your employer asks about prior injuries, make sure to think carefully about your past to make sure you give an accurate history. Do not talk to other co-workers about your case.

Ask Your Employer if They Have a Panel Doctor for You to See

You should do this within the first 90 days. You can avoid having to treat with a panel doctor if certain technicalities weren’t met. Call or email me for details on this. Panel doctors work for the employer- they are not on your side. Their goal is to minimize the nature of your injury and get you back to work no matter how you are feeling.

Get Medical Treatment

Getting the best medical treatment is really important so consult with your attorney and family doctor if you have one, about what treatment you’re getting in the early stages- to see if it’s appropriate given the symptoms you feel.

Once notice is given to the insurer/employer, the work comp carrier will have 21 days to accept your claim, deny it, or temporarily accept it. They issue a Notice of Compensation Payable, a Temporary Notice of Compensation Payable, or a Notice of Denial. They can accept medical benefits only if they don’t believe the work injury is causing wage loss, or they can accept wage loss and medical benefits. Talk to us about what was issued in your case so we can monitor.

If you receive restrictions from your treating physician- make sure to communicate these immediately to your supervisor/manager. The burden will then shift to the Employer to advise you if they can accommodate the restrictions. This raises two issues. One, are the restrictions appropriate? And, two, is the work that Employer says is available, truly within these restrictions. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve heard from injured workers that the Employer claimed “light duty” was available only to find out that the job really wasn’t “light duty”- but something more.

Follow the Doctor’s Orders

If you continue working after the work injury, make sure the employer is abiding by your doctor’s restrictions and if it isn’t, take daily notes as to how it isn’t complying and report the non-compliance to a supervisor.

These are just some of the initial issues that will arise early in a Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation case. We’re here to help so call or email an Workers’ Compensation attorney in Allentown  7 days a week.

Awards & Recognitions

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Cardamone Law Has Negotiated Some of the Largest Workers’ Comp Settlements in Pennsylvania

$6 Million
Acted as Co-Counsel on a Case that Settled
$2.2 Million
Spinal Injury
$897,000
Lower Back Injury
$740,000
Amputation
$650,000
Lower Back Injury
$550,000
Neck Injury
$425,000
Leg Injury
$375,000
Knee Injury
$325,000
Ankle Injury
$315,000
Lower Back Injury
$310,000
Lower Back Injury
$305,000
Lower Back Injury
$6 Million
Acted as Co-Counsel on a Case that Settled
$2.2 Million
Spinal Injury
$897,000
Lower Back Injury
$740,000
Amputation
$650,000
Lower Back Injury
$550,000
Neck Injury
$425,000
Leg Injury
$375,000
Knee Injury
$325,000
Ankle Injury
$315,000
Lower Back Injury
$310,000
Lower Back Injury
$305,000
Lower Back Injury

Client Testimonials

"Without a doubt YOU are the best!!!"

"Without a doubt YOU are the best!!! Every person who is in the horrible position of being injured at work should have someone as kind, compassionate and knowledgeable as you on their side. You never once made me feel like I was one of a hundred other clients. I always knew you had my back! You answered calls and emails at all hours. You fought every fight for me so I only had to worry about getting well. Behind your nice, calm face there’s a pit bull ready to take on any employer or judge. I can never thank you enough."

- L. Edall
Google Reviews
"Best Law Firm around!"

"Cardomone law is absolutely fantastic! They are very responsive and helpful and they will fight to get you what you deserve. Shirley is also very helpful whenever you have any questions! Best Law Firm around!"

- C. Edwards
Google Reviews
"Thank you from the bottom of my heart Mike and Shirley!!"

I called Shirley when I was scared and didn’t know what where my next dime was coming from after I was out with my work injury. Shirley was very kind and helpful guiding me every single step of the way. Mike was not your typical lawyer was not pushy but very responsive to all my gazillion questions. He helped me get my settlement quickly and settlement check in a very timely manner. Would recommend them to anyone! Mike helped calm all my fears and anxieties as I was trying to navigate one of the hardest and most stressful times in my life. Thank you from the bottom of my heart Mike and Shirley!!

- Jen Thompson
Google Reviews
"Michael and Shirley are very dedicated...and getting the maximum amount favorable to my case"

"Cardamone Law Firm were very helpful to me since day one. Michael and Shirley are very dedicated to my case giving me updates, answering my questions, being honest with my case, and getting the maximum amount favorable to my case. Thank you so much for your service and dedication and helping me to achieve not only your case but to guide and refer me in other needs too! You guys are the best law firm friendly and dedicated. I will recommend to anyone."

- A. Ortiz
Google Reviews
"Michael won my workers comp case after my employer insurance denied my claim."

"Exceptional firm. Highly recommend this law firm. Michael won my Workers Comp case after my employer insurance denied my claim. Him and his staff were always at my reach for legal and emotional support. Am so happy I hire them. Thanks Michael and Ms. Shirley."

- Carlos P.
Google Reviews
"[They] did an excellent job in getting me financially compensated in a fairly short amount of time."

"I recently had a work related injury and was receiving Workers' Compensation (medical benefits only). Soon after I was fired, so I contacted Paul Silver at Cardamone Law Firm who did an excellent job in getting me financially compensated in a fairly short amount of time. Paul and his assistant Shirley always responded to any questions I had about the case in a very short amount of time. Thank you for helping me with this difficult case."

- Robin C.
Google Reviews
"Highly recommend."

"Cardamone Law was great with helping my husband with his Workers Comp issues. Mike and Shirley were the best with letting us know what was going on every step of the way. Highly recommend."

- Danielle P.
Google Reviews
"Mike Cardamone is amazing"

"Mike Cardamone is amazing. He is "hands down" one of the best lawyers I've ever had the privilege of knowing. He is very kind, understanding, knowledgeable in his field, always very thorough and helpful. He was extremely professional and someone who truly cares about his clients. I felt completely at ease with him. He was a pleasure to work with, explained everything in detail, as well as answered all my questions with knowledge and care. If you want someone you can trust, who communicates every step of the way, will fight for you and make sure you win your case, he is it! I will refer all my family and friends to him. Thank you so much Mike, for everything. I appreciate all your hard work and dedication in helping me."

- Allie M.
Google Reviews
"Best Workers' Comp Lawyer!"

"Michael is simply the best! He was there for me from day 1 till the end, and we won the case!! He is always available to help. I had a gazillion questions and he would answer them one by one. He's a great lawyer and I feel lucky to have found him online from reading other outstanding reviews about him. Believe me, they're true!"

- Faith B.
Google Reviews
"Great Attorney"

"Great attorney, handled case quickly and efficiently. I would recommend him and would use him again. He was always available to answer any questions we had. Thank you, Mr. Cardamone."

- H. Anderson
Google Reviews