Pennsylvania Workers’ Comp Lawyer for Warehouse Workers
Workers’ Compensation is available for many warehouse workers regardless of their specific role at the warehouse. However, certain workers might not be covered, and making sure you have coverage and get the benefits you need can be complex.
After an accident, always consult with a lawyer. Your employer might deny your benefits or seek to block certain coverages, all to save themselves money or please their insurance carriers. Our lawyers fight to see that that does not happen.
Call Cardamone Law’s experienced Certified Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Lawyers today at (267) 651-7945 for a free case evaluation.
Are Warehouse Workers Covered Under Workers’ Compensation in Pennsylvania?
Employers are required to cover all employees within Pennsylvania with Workers’ Compensation insurance. This provides medical coverage and wage-loss benefits for their work-related injuries, but only if they meet that definition of “employee” (spelled “employe” in the Workers’ Comp Act).
Employees vs. Independent Contractors
Employees are all workers who have their jobs controlled by their employers and work for a wage. It should not matter if you are hourly or salaried, seasonal or full-time; you are still an “employee.”
In contrast, independent contractors are not covered under Workers’ Comp. These workers control their own hours and services and often work under a contract price. They also may work under a company name rather than their own name.
Who Qualifies?
Most warehousing workers – such as stockers, forklift operators, supervisors, pickers, and loaders – are typically employees. In contrast, maintenance staff, janitors/cleaners, security, and drivers might be hired as independent contractors.
Alternatively, some of these non-employees might actually work for a third-party agency as employees. That means the other company is their employer and pays their Workers’ Comp, not the warehouse itself.
What Warehouse Injuries Are Covered Under Workers’ Comp?
Workers’ Comp covers all “work-related” injuries. This is a big category that covers nearly any injury that happens while doing your work. Injuries are covered whether they are brought on by work tasks – i.e., lifting, driving a forklift – or conditions at your workplace – e.g., hot buildings, slippery loading docks.
Employers do not have to be at fault to cover your injury. As long as it was work-related, Workers’ Comp does not need proof of an employer’s violations or direct involvement.
In fact, Workers’ Comp covers injuries from other workers, outside parties, hazardous materials, packages/materials you handle, safety gear, tools, and even injuries you cause yourself. The core exception is that it cannot cover injuries you cause yourself intentionally, illegally, or while using illegal drugs/alcohol.
How Much Does Workers’ Comp Pay for Injuries in Pennsylvania?
Workers’ Comp covers three areas of benefits, and we can determine the amount you should get in each category by examining the specifics of your case:
Medical Bills
All medical bills related to your injury should be paid. The care you need will vary from case to case, and even the same injuries may require different amounts.
On average, medical bills cost a bit more than the wage indemnity benefits. Looking at average costs can help you estimate your case, but it is best to have our Workers’ Comp lawyers for warehouse workers estimate your specific case’s costs.
Wage-Loss Benefits
Replacement wages are usually paid at 2/3 of your average wage for as long as you are completely unable to work, as long as you go at least 7 days without working. If you are able to work a bit despite your injuries, you get 2/3 of the reduction in wages instead. Those partial benefits can last for up to 500 weeks, not necessarily consecutive.
The average warehouse worker makes around $776 per week in Pennsylvania. At that pay level, you would actually get 1/2 the statewide average wage ($1,347 per week for 2025), which equals $673.50 in weekly wage-loss benefits.
You can estimate how long you will receive this by considering how long you will be out of work for. If you cannot work at all, you will be owed this wage every week until retirement age.
Specific Loss
If you lost a limb, lost your vision/hearing, or suffered serious facial scars, you can get additional benefits listed in the Workers’ Comp Act. The Act has a list of injuries, each with a set number of weeks after it. For that many weeks, you get 2/3 of your average wage.
What Do I Need to File a Workers’ Comp Claim?
To file your initial claim with your employer, you need some basic information:
- What happened?
- Who was involved?
- How was it related to your work?
You also need basic biographical information about who you are.
From there, you also need medical information about what your limitations now are, how much longer it will take for your injury to get better, and what work you can do with accommodations/limitations. This usually requires medical exams for that specific purpose.
Once your case gets to court, we can seek out a lot of this evidence for you to build your case. At a Workers’ Comp Hearing, we will often present doctor’s reports, depositions from witnesses, and medical records.
How Long Does it Take to Get Workers’ Comp for an On-the-Job Warehouse Injury?
Injured workers should file their claim within 21 days, and employers get 21 days to respond. They can alternatively accept the claim temporarily and give themselves an additional 90 days to deny you.
From the denial, you get 2 years to file your claim, but you do not have to wait. We can start filing your claim right away.
After filing, Workers’ Comp Judges will give the parties enough time to collect evidence and schedule a hearing, taking into account how crowded their courtrooms are. It often takes a few months to get your case to a hearing and get a decision, though negotiations to settle your claim can speed up your damages.
Call Our Workers’ Compensation Lawyers for Warehouse Workers in Pennsylvania Today
Reach out to Cardamone Law’s Workers’ Compensation lawyers for warehouse workers at (267) 651-7945.
