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Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Lawyers

Workers' Comp Attorneys Serving Carlisle, Hanover, Harrisburg, Lancaster, Schuylkill County & York, Pennsylvania

If you were hurt at work and your employer is blaming you, you need the help of a Pennsylvania workers' compensation attorney. All too often, you have doctor bills piling up, only making matters worse. The last thing you need to worry about after a work injury is distractions because of a denied or reduced claim. You need to worry about you, about healing and getting back to making a living. Let a lawyer handle the rest.

Our legal team includes Attorney J. Jeffrey Watson, a certified specialist in the practice of workers' comp law by the Pennsylvania Bar Association's Workers' Compensation Law Section, as authorized by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. This hard-earned designation means everything in this complex field. Handler, Henning & Rosenberg has been open since 1922, and we continually evolve with the needs of our clients.

If you have been injured at work, you deserve to have the best team on your side. Call a Pennsylvania workers' comp lawyer today at (888) 498-3023 for a free consultation!

Have You Been Injured on the Job? One Call...Does It All®!

Workers’ compensation law can be complex; however, our experienced Pennsylvania workers’ compensation attorneys can help you navigate this difficult process to ensure that your legal rights are protected throughout each step of case proceedings. Our Pennsylvania workers’ compensation lawyers are committed to helping employees who have suffered work-related injuries and medical conditions.

Our law firm has offices located in Carlisle, Hanover, Harrisburg, Lancaster, Schuylkill County, and York to help serve the needs of our clients throughout Pennsylvania. In operation since 1922, we’ve established ourselves as one of the largest and most respected law firms in the area.

Are You Eligible for Workers' Compensation?

Most Pennsylvania-based employees qualify for some form of workers' compensation, which comes into effect when an employee is injured on the job and is entitled to medical and wage loss benefits.

Certain employees DO NOT qualify for state workers' compensation, such as:

Federal workers
Longshoremen
Railroad workers
Sole proprietors
Domestic-based workers
Volunteers
Agriculture laborers
Casual laborers

If you do fall into one of these categories, there is a chance you may be covered under the Federal Employee Compensation Act. If you are a domestic worker, you also have the option to purchase a private form of workers' compensation at your own expense. Importantly, the state places limits on how much a person can receive from workers' comp benefits. To find out more about these limits, you can visit our blog about Pennsylvania workers' compensation maximums.

Click here to learn more about the Pennsylvania Workers' Compensation Act.

Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Law

Under workers’ comp law, injured employees have the right to workers’ compensation benefits regardless of how their injuries occurred. An employee must inform their employer immediately of an injury and consult a medical professional to evaluate the extent of their injuries. There are reporting requirements and time limits to receiving your benefits; in Pennsylvania, an employee has 21 days to report an injury to their employer. As a result, you should not hesitate to contact a PA workers' comp lawyer quickly.

We take on Pennsylvania workers' compensation cases involving:

No matter the circumstances surrounding your accident, and even if you think you were to blame, you have much to gain and nothing to lose by speaking with a Pennsylvania workers' compensation attorney about your options. You may be entitled to benefits regardless of fault, and our team can consider any and all possible sources of compensation to maximize your recovery. We're here to help, however we can.

The Most Common Pennsylvania Workers' Comp Injuries

According to the 2023 Workers' Compensation and Workplace Safety Annual Report by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, there were 162,694 workplace injury and illness cases filed with the Bureau of Workers' Compensation. Strains and sprains accounted for 35.6% of all injury cases in 2023 and were the leading cause of injury to the trunk and back, upper extremities, and lower extremities.

Upper extremity injuries accounted for 37.9% of all workers' compensation cases in 2023, making them the most prevalent location of injury for Pennsylvania workers. Of these, finger injuries were the most common.

Other common Pennsylvania work injuries include, but are not limited to:

Cuts, lacerations, and puncture wounds
Dismemberment
Fractures
Occupational illness

The leading cause of injuries reported for PA workers’ comp claims in 2023 was overexertion, such as lifting, pulling, or pushing. There were 41,688 overexertion injury workers' comp claims in Pennsylvania in 2023.

Workers' Comp for Injured Truck Drivers

Did you know that transportation incidents are one of the most common causes of fatal workplace injuries in the U.S.? Workers across many industries—agriculture, construction, shipping, and others—are at risk of suffering harm in accidents involving motor vehicles. This includes truck drivers. If you drive a commercial vehicle in Pennsylvania or anywhere across the country, you have the right to seek medical treatment and financial support if you're injured on the job. Workers' comp covers all work-related injuries for truck drivers, from truck accidents to lifting injuries to incidents at warehouses or even administrative offices.

Our Pennsylvania workers' compensation lawyers see a lot of cases involving injured truck drivers, due to our offices' proximity to distribution warehouses and trucking headquarters. We believe in helping injured truckers get the workers' comp help they need—and we can handle personal injury or product liability lawsuits for truck drivers if a third party is to blame.

Filing a Workers' Comp Claim in Pennsylvania

Navigating the workers' compensation claim process in Pennsylvania involves adhering to specific timelines and guidelines to ensure you receive the benefits you are entitled to.

The first crucial step is to report your injury to your employer. To receive the full amount of workers' compensation benefits, you must report the injury within 21 days of its occurrence. If you report the injury between 21 and 120 days after it happens, your claim will only cover lost wages and medical expenses from the date you report it, not from the date of the injury. If you fail to report the injury within 120 days, you may lose your right to workers' compensation benefits unless your employer was already aware of the injury.

Once you have reported the injury, you have up to three years from the date of the injury to file a claim petition. This initiates the formal process of claiming your workers' comp benefits. If you do not file within this three-year window, your claim will be barred, and you will not be able to receive compensation.

For injuries involving hearing loss due to long-term exposure to hazardous noise, the timeline is slightly different. You must file a claim within three years of the last exposure to the hazardous noise. This ensures that the long-term nature of such injuries is taken into account.

Throughout the process, it's important to follow up regularly with your employer and their workers' compensation insurance carrier. Keep detailed records of all medical treatments, communications, and any other relevant documentation to support your claim. If at any point you feel overwhelmed or uncertain about the process, consulting with an experienced Pennsylvania workers' compensation attorney can provide valuable guidance and improve the likelihood of a successful claim.

Why Was My Workers' Compensation Claim Denied?

Applying for workers' compensation can be difficult enough without dealing with a denied claim. When this happens, you may face significant financial hardships caused by missed work and medical bills. Unfortunately, claims may be denied if they are improperly filed or are thought to be false.

A workers' compensation claim may be denied for a variety of reasons, such as:

Exceeding the time limit
No medical diagnosis
Lack of medical evidence
Intentional injuries
Insufficient information
Intoxication

However, it is within an employee's right to appeal any workers' compensation decision. If your claim was denied or has been delayed for any reason, you can reach out to our Pennsylvania workers' comp law firm for immediate help. Our professionals can review your situation to determine the reason for the denial and can go over the appeals process with you to see if you can challenge the decision.

How Does Workers’ Comp Pay for Lost Wages?

When a worker is unable to perform their normal job duties due to a work-related injury or illness, they may be entitled to workers' compensation benefits. These benefits generally cover approximately two-thirds of the worker's average weekly income. However, this amount can be offset by other earnings, such as severance pay, unemployment compensation, and social security benefits. Workers' compensation benefits are provided by the State Workers’ Insurance Fund or through private insurance companies.

There are several key points to know about workers' comp payments in Pennsylvania:

Waiting Period: A worker is entitled to receive wage-loss payments only after being disabled for more than seven calendar days. The first day of compensation is earned on the eighth day of disablement.
Extended Disability Compensation: If the disability lasts longer than 14 calendar days, however, the worker will also be entitled to compensation for the first 7 days of disability.
First Payment: When an injury is reported immediately, the worker can typically expect to receive their first compensation check within three weeks of the incident (if their claim is approved).

In addition to wage-loss benefits, a worker who suffers a permanent loss of body function, such as the movement of a finger or hearing, is eligible for additional compensation based on the severity of the loss.

When Do Pennsylvania Workers' Comp Benefits End?

Pennsylvania workers' compensation benefits can end under several circumstances:

If the worker returns to their job at the same pay rate as before the injury.
If the employer or insurance company assesses the claim and finds it unacceptable.
Benefits can also be discontinued by a workers' compensation judge following a hearing or if the disability status expires upon fulfilling the total benefit period.

If you or a loved one has been cut off from workers’ compensation and need answers, contact Handler, Henning & Rosenberg LLC for a free case evaluation.

Can I Get Unemployment & Workers' Compensation Benefits?

There are certain scenarios where a Pennsylvanian worker will be eligible to receive both unemployment and workers’ compensation due to a work-related injury. However, any benefit that is received in addition to workers’ comp will actually “eat into” the total benefit amount. So, despite one’s ability to receive both workers’ comp and unemployment, the unemployment benefit will be counted toward the workers’ comp total, making the sum of both benefits equal to solely receiving workers’ compensation.

The downside to receiving both benefits is that there is an expiration date attached to unemployment. Each worker is entitled to a strict lifetime allowance of unemployment benefit, and in the event that a worker starts to use it, this allowance will begin to dwindle.

However, if a workers’ compensation benefit stands in jeopardy of being forfeited or suspended, it is recommended that a worker look into the unemployment benefit as a fallback. If you are currently receiving workers’ compensation but worry that your case will be dismissed, contact our office now for a free consultation regarding your eligibility to receive your unemployment benefit.

Do I Need a Workers' Compensation or Personal Injury Attorney?

If you are injured on the job, it may be unclear whether you need a workers' compensation attorney or a personal injury attorney. In a New Jersey court case, a woman was awarded $2.25 million after a slip and fall accident. She fell on ice in the parking lot as she was going into work. In this case, the property owner was determined to be liable for the damages in a premises liability lawsuit.

However, some cases may not be so clear. For example, if the woman had been driving to the post office to purchase stamps as part of her job duties and her vehicle was rear-ended by another driver, would she qualify for workers' comp or should she file a personal injury claim against the driver of the other vehicle? Should she hire a workers' compensation lawyer or an automobile accident lawyer? The woman in this example may be entitled to workers' comp benefits because she was injured while on the job. However, if the driver of the other vehicle was at fault for the accident, the woman may also have a claim against them.

Workers' compensation pays for medical expenses and a portion of lost wages if you are unable to work due to injuries sustained in a job-related accident. However, you are not entitled to workers' comp for pain and suffering. In an automobile accident claim against the other driver, however, you may be entitled to compensation for all lost wages in addition to compensation for pain and suffering. The woman in our example could potentially pursue more compensation under a personal injury case than workers' comp.

Having an attorney who understands Pennsylvania workers' compensation and personal injury law is important to maximize your potential recovery. An attorney who practices law in both of these areas understands how they relate to each other and can sort out complex questions of liability. Our attorneys can also sort out the issue of subrogation rights if the workers' compensation insurer pays for some expenses prior to you receiving compensation from the insurance company of the at-fault driver.

Involve a Pennsylvania Workers' Compensation Lawyer Today

The personal injury attorneys of Handler, Henning & Rosenberg have extensive knowledge in the areas of Pennsylvania workers' compensation and the laws governing accidental injury in Pennsylvania. Having been in practice since 1922, our firm has the experience to handle complex claims and offer comprehensive legal representation when you need it most. We want to help you recover compensation for medical bills, lost wages, property damage, emotional suffering, and physical pain.

When you are injured on the job or injured because of the careless, reckless, or negligent acts of another party, you should not be required to bear the financial burden alone. Our PA workers’ compensation attorneys have helped thousands receive benefits and recover lump-sum settlements. Our lawyers can advise you and handle your claim from start to finish, so you can focus on healing.

Hurt on the job? Contact HHR at (888) 498-3023 to begin your journey!

HHR: A Family Story

Handler, Henning & Rosenberg has always been a family business. It's been 100 years, and if we look into the future another 100 years, we still see our family helping yours. We've been around for this long for a reason: we care about our clients and our communities, and every person at our firm does everything they can to help every client we represent.

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