Workers' Compensation Lawyers

Workers' Compensation claims in Pennsylvania

Workers' compensation should cover medical treatment and a portion of lost wages after a workplace injury. In practice claims get denied, benefits are cut off, and injured workers are pressured back before they are ready.

Workers' compensation is also separate from any third-party claim — if someone other than your employer contributed to the injury, a second claim may exist alongside it.

Why families bring these cases to Munley Law

Munley Law has represented injured people and their families from its Scranton base since 1959. The attorneys listed below handle this type of case, and the results shown are published matters the firm has reported.

Caroline MunleyManaging PartnerJames Christopher MunleyAttorneyMackenzie E. WilsonAttorneyNoah MustoAttorney

$12 Million

Verdict

Verdict for forklift accident victim who lost her leg.

$1 Million

Award

Jury award for crush injury to trucker's foot.

Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.

“She and everyone I came into contact with in her firm handled my case with the utmost professionalism, as well as true empathy for my situation, while not missing a detail about the facts of the case… She is a great person and an awesome attorney! She will fight for you!”

Eligibility

Benefits available

• Reasonable and necessary medical treatment related to the work injury
• Wage-loss benefits, generally a portion of average weekly wage subject to statutory maximums
• Specific loss benefits for permanent loss of use, disfigurement or amputation
• Death benefits for dependents where an injury is fatal

How a claim moves

• Report the injury to the employer, in writing where possible
• The insurer accepts, denies or issues a temporary notice of compensation payable
• A denied or terminated claim proceeds by petition before a workers' compensation judge
• Medical evidence, depositions and independent examinations follow
• The judge issues a decision, which either side may appeal

Injuries frequently seen in these cases

• Back and shoulder injuries from lifting
• Fractures from falls and machinery
• Repetitive strain and carpal tunnel syndrome
• Hearing loss and occupational illness
• Traumatic brain injury and catastrophic injury

Who may be responsible

Responsibility depends entirely on the facts, and no one can determine it from a web page. These are the parties whose conduct is typically examined.

Denied, terminated or reduced benefits

Common reasons include a dispute about whether the injury is work-related, a late report, or an independent medical examination concluding you have recovered.

Each of those can be challenged with medical evidence. What matters most is not missing the deadline to respond.

Third-party claims alongside workers' compensation

If a party other than your employer contributed — a driver, an equipment manufacturer, a subcontractor or a property owner — a separate injury claim may exist.

Those claims can include damages workers' compensation does not pay, such as pain and suffering, and are subject to the compensation carrier's subrogation rights.

Damages that may be recoverable

What a claim may include depends on the injuries, the available insurance and the evidence. Nothing here is a prediction of value.

• Medical treatment already received, from the emergency room through rehabilitation
• Future medical care and therapy a physician expects will be needed
• Wages lost while unable to work, and reduced earning capacity in longer-term cases
• Property damage, out-of-pocket costs and travel to treatment
• Pain, suffering and loss of life's pleasures where the law allows it

Steps that protect a claim

• Report the injury to your employer in writing and keep a copy
• Get medical treatment and tell the provider it was work-related
• Follow the rules about panel providers during the initial period
• Keep every notice, form and letter you receive from the insurer
• Read anything before signing it, especially a final receipt or agreement

Frequently asked questions

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