Regardless of the type of work a person does in Pennsylvania, there is always a chance that there will be injuries or illnesses because of the work. When this happens and the person needs medical treatment and cannot get back on the job, it is important to know the details of how to get worker's compensation and what benefits are available. One part of worker's compensation that should be understood from the start is wage-loss.
When a person has been injured on the job and is seeking worker's compensation, wage-loss payments are available. To get wage-loss payments, the worker will not receive the payments until he or she has been disabled and it has lasted for more than seven calendar days. On the eighth day, they can get wage-loss payments. Workers need not worry about those first seven days if the injury lasts for 14 days. Once the worker has been out for 14 days, those payments from the first seven days will be retroactive.
In general, if the injury is reported as soon as possible, the initial worker's compensation check will be received within 21 days. Then the checks will come regularly. The employer or insurer can pay the worker temporary compensation for as much as 90 days regardless of whether the claim was accepted yet. If there is notification that the temporary compensation will not go beyond 90 days or if the claim is denied, the worker can file for a hearing with the Office of Adjudication.
It is also important to know when wage-loss payments will stop. The employer or insurer can stop making these payments when presented with evidence that the worker has gone back to work and is receiving wages that are equal to or greater than what they earned before and has given notice of this. For those getting temporary compensation in the 90 days after the injury or illness, there can be notification that the benefits will stop due to the claim not being accepted. The benefits can also stop if a judge stops them following a hearing; if the worker signs a supplemental agreement or an agreement to stop the payments; or if the time limit - 500 weeks - for which the worker gets partial disability ends.
One of the biggest concerns for an injured worker is how they will make ends meet when they are unable to work. That is where worker's compensation comes in. Understanding the various aspects of this issue is key. Having legal assistance from a law firm that specializes in worker's compensation can help with a case.
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