What happens after you’re hurt on the job in Pennsylvania? If everything goes right, you receive workers’ compensation benefits from your employer while you recover from your injuries. Unfortunately, you can’t always rely on the system to work the way it should. Even if your employer supports your workers’ compensation case, you can still end up facing financial hardship if the insurance company undervalues your claim. To protect your rights after a workplace injury, you should contact a Harrisburg work injury lawyer at Wapner Newman as soon as possible. Our experienced legal team will fight to get you every dollar that the law says you are eligible to receive.
Why Choose Us?
Experienced Harrisburg Work Injury Lawyers
The workers’ compensation system in Pennsylvania is complex. You need to file all the appropriate documentation on a precise timeline. Any mistakes made or deadlines missed could mean permanently missing out on compensation that you should be eligible for. That is a lot of stress to place on anyone, especially someone who is recovering from a serious injury.
That’s where the Harrisburg work injury attorneys at our law firm can help. We’re familiar with every aspect of the workers’ compensation process. From the moment you hire our law firm, our legal team will map out the process for you and create a checklist of every task that needs to be completed. Because we have handled thousands of similar cases, we know what needs to be done, what evidence needs to be collected, and how to put it all together.
At the same time, we don’t treat your case like every other one we’ve handled before. Our work injury attorneys recognize that every claim is unique and take the time to understand the details of your situation. Focusing on those details is critical to getting you the compensation that you need to recover from your injuries without suffering financial hardship.
At Wapner Newman, our Harrisburg work injury lawyers take a unique approach to every case.
Why You Should Contact a Work Injury Lawyer in Harrisburg
Understanding Your Rights After a Work Accident
As a general rule, if you are injured on the job, you are probably eligible to receive workers’ compensation benefits. Nearly all employers in Pennsylvania are legally required to maintain workers’ compensation insurance as outlined in the Workers’ Compensation Act. This insurance covers things like lost wages and medical bills. However, as is true with any type of insurance, the insurance company has significant control over what compensation you get. If you aren’t represented by a work injury lawyer, you might face some of the following difficulties.
Dispute Over Whether the Injury Is Work-Related
The simple standard for whether an injury is work-related is that you suffered the injury while at work. But what counts as “at work?” Are you at work while in your employer’s parking lot? What if you were involved in a car accident when purchasing supplies for your workplace? These situations can get tricky. While less simple, the applicable standard is typically that you are considered to be at work if you are getting paid for completing work-related activities.
But even that can be complicated, especially if you are on a work trip. Unless you are paid a salary, some of your time on a work trip is technically off the clock. However, arguably, you are at work throughout the entire trip, even during times when you aren’t performing work activities. Lawyers at Wapner Newman can help you prove that your injuries are work-related, even when it may not seem like they are at first glance. We are familiar with these corner-case situations and know how to handle them.
You Have the Right to Choose Your Healthcare Provider
Pennsylvania allows you to choose your healthcare provider, but limits may be placed on that choice. Your employer may create a list that includes a minimum of six providers. After you are injured, you must use one of the options on this list for at least the first 90 days of your treatment. There are several potential exceptions to these rules, though. If your employer has created an improper list, you might be able to ignore the guidelines altogether. For instance, if you broke your leg, the list might be improper if fewer than six physicians on it handle orthopedic medicine.
Our legal team will help you navigate these complicated rules and fight them when necessary. You deserve to have as much flexibility as possible when choosing a physician and should never be forced to accept treatment from a doctor you don’t trust.
Were you seriously injured on the job in Harrisburg? Contact a work injury attorney at Wapner Newman at (215) 569-0900 to discuss your legal options.
Disputes Over Lost Wages or Medical Bills
The worst part about getting workers’ compensation benefits is filling out all the paperwork. The insurance company expects you to provide documentation of every bill and each lost hour of work. While that is reasonable for their records, it is a difficult strain to place on someone who is injured too seriously to work. If you accidentally fail to provide any documentation, you could end up having payments delayed by weeks or being denied altogether.
Rather than trying to navigate the workers’ compensation injury system alone, you should contact Wapner Newman as soon as you are hurt. Our legal team has experience providing documentation for insurance companies in Pennsylvania. We make every effort to stop the disputes before they occur.
Negligence in the Workplace
Typically, if you are injured in the workplace, it doesn’t matter whether your employer was negligent or not. As long as they have state-mandated workers’ compensation insurance and your claim is approved, you do not have the right to file a lawsuit for additional compensation. However, if your employer has failed to maintain a workers’ compensation insurance policy, you can file a lawsuit based on negligence and potentially get more money than you would have received if you’d had access to workers’ compensation benefits.
Intentional Acts
There is another situation where you can file a lawsuit against an employer that has workers’ compensation insurance. If you were injured due to an intentional act by your employer, you can sue to get compensation beyond workers’ compensation benefits. This is an uncommon situation, but it could occur if your employer retaliates against you or refuses to issue you safety equipment.
FAQ
Workers’ compensation benefits are supposed to be easy for workers to access. Unfortunately, the reality is often far more complicated than that. Workers’ compensation is a complex system where insurance companies have too much power and have intentionally inserted significant levels of bureaucracy. This makes the system exceedingly difficult for the average worker to understand and navigate. Because workers’ compensation is so complicated, we try to answer as many of your questions as possible before your free consultation.
What do I need to do to get workers’ compensation benefits after suffering an injury in Harrisburg?
The most important thing you need to do is report your injury as quickly as possible. Waiting will only delay your benefits and could even result in denial of benefits.
When should I consult with a Harrisburg work injury attorney?
The earlier you contact our law firm, the better. Our lawyers will ensure you fulfill all the steps of the process and will communicate with the insurance company and your employer on your behalf.
Should I hire a work injury lawyer in Harrisburg if I am not taking legal action?
Yes. By hiring a lawyer, you increase your chances of getting the full benefits the law allows. Insurance companies often try to find any reason possible to diminish the value of your claim or to deny it outright. Our legal team is familiar with those tactics, and we will fight them from the moment that you hire us to represent you.
Can I appeal a workers’ compensation benefits decision?
Yes. If the insurance company offers you lower benefits than you believe you are entitled to, you can fight that decision on appeal.
Will Wapner Newman represent me during the appeals process?
Yes. Once you hire our law firm to represent your work injury claim, we will fight to get you fair benefits until the process is complete. This means that we will represent you throughout the appeals process if necessary.
Can my case end up in court?
If you have expended all options to appeal and still disagree with the result, your case may end up in court. Litigation for this purpose cannot result in more benefits than you are eligible to receive under the Workers’ Compensation Act.
We understand that you probably have plenty of additional questions. We will answer them during your free consultation.
Contact a Work Injury Lawyer in Harrisburg Today
Were you or a loved one seriously injured in the workplace? Our law firm may be able to help you get the compensation you need to recover. Contact Wapner Newman at (215) 569-0900 to discuss your legal options with an experienced work injury attorney.