Norristown Workers’ Comp & Work Injury Lawyer

Injured workers deserve compensation for their medical expenses, and their employer should pay for it. This is the core principle behind Workers’ Compensation: employers should pay for the injuries their workers sustain in the course of their business. Our lawyers fight to make that happen for you.

When you get hurt at work, consider working with our Certified Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Specialists. Our attorneys handle Workers’ Comp cases exclusively, devoting our entire practice to getting injured workers medical bills and wage-loss damages, as well as getting the families of deceased workers benefits for their loss.

For a free case assessment with our Workers’ Compensation lawyers, call Cardamone Law today at (267) 651-7945.

Steps of a Workers’ Compensation Claim in Norristown, PA

To get compensation through the Workers’ Comp system, there are some steps you need to take to gather medical evidence and progress your claim. You may also need to go to court at various stages of the case if your claim is denied or the insurance carrier files certain petitions with a Workers’ Comp judge.

Getting Medical Treatment

Right after the accident, get the medical care you need. Your emergency care should be covered, and it is necessary to start creating a record of your injuries and doing what you can to get the required care and mitigate any further injuries or conditions (i.e., you must not make the injury worse).

From there, you will need additional follow-up care, often provided by a doctor that your employer chooses, at least for the first 90 days. To restrict you to their list of physicians, your employer will actually have to have a list of physicians to choose from, or else this requirement cannot be enforced. Additionally, you are not forced to go to one of these doctors if you need a specialist and no one on the list is the right type of specialist. After the 90 days, you can see whatever doctor you choose.

When seeing a doctor for Workers’ Comp injuries, it is important that they document everything and, when possible, declare that the injury stems from your work conditions. This is an important part of the records you need to show that your injury was indeed work-related. If your treating physician is being uncooperative, our Workers’ Compensation attorneys can request particular reviews or potentially seek outside medical opinions.

Reporting Your Injury

If you do not report your injury to your employer within 120 days of the injury, it will not be covered by Workers’ Comp. In most cases, you should report much earlier than 120 days, or else you could spend a lot of time waiting when you could have been receiving benefits.

Talk to a Lawyer

By this point in your case, you should have a lawyer on your side. We can help protect your claim and your rights as an injured employee throughout all steps of your case, including the more challenging steps to come.

Obtain a Decision

Your employer handles most of the paperwork at these early stages of your case, and if it is accepted and they agree to pay full benefits, then your case is essentially finished. However, if they deny your claim or challenge the facts you presented them – e.g., if they say that your injury did not actually happen at work – then you will need help to appeal that decision.

Filing Appeals

Our lawyers can begin litigating and challenging your denial by filing with the Pennsylvania Bureau of Workers’ Compensation first and then appealing to a Workers’ Comp judge if necessary. Claims may be initially denied on different grounds, and the right response depends on the decision being made. For example, your employer might agree that you suffered a work-related injury and agree to treat it. Still, they might deny that the injury left you disabled and unable to return to work, so they would refuse to pay you for lost wages. This may require us to present evidence of how the injury has affected your life and reduced your earning power.

Following Through

In some cases, employers or their insurance carriers will come back every 6 months and request Independent Medical Exams (IMEs) performed by doctors of their choosing. The goal here might be to show that your injury has healed and you can return to work or to show that your level of disability has decreased. In any case, these doctors are usually on their side, and you should contact a lawyer to help protect your benefits.

Settlement

In some cases, the claim is not resolved and paid on an ongoing basis but rather resolved through a settlement. In these cases, injured workers usually get a lump-sum payment instead of ongoing benefits, accounting for the value of ongoing medical benefits and lost wages at their adjusted, present value. Ensuring that your settlement has enough money to keep you going will be vital, especially if your injury has many ongoing care needs. As such, you should never agree to a settlement without having your lawyer review it first.

What Injuries Are Covered by Workers Comp in Norristown, PA?

Any and all injuries obtained in the course and scope of your job duties should ultimately be covered by Workers’ Comp. This can include accidents like slip and falls or even auto accidents if driving is part of your job. You can also get benefits for fires, explosions, equipment malfunctions, amputation, electrocution, back injuries, and so many other physical injuries.

In many cases, work-related illnesses and occupational diseases will also be covered. Depending on which chemicals or conditions you were exposed to, your lawyers may need to show that your industry has a higher level of cancer and illness than the general population, but we must always show that the illness in your case actually stemmed from work conditions.

Call Our Workers’ Comp Lawyers in Norristown, PA Today

For help with your case, call the Certified Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Specialists at Cardamone Law today at (267) 651-7945.