In Pennsylvania employers are required to carry Workers Compensation insurance. They can either purchase insurance or self-insure the employees. Workers Compensation can provide an income in case of workers injury on the job. Workers Compensation also covers employees if they become sick as a result of conditions in the workplace.
What many may not know, is that in Pennsylvania there are six types of Workers Compensation benefits available to workers.
- Permanent Partial Disability Benefits – These are benefits available to workers who are partially injured and can do light-duty work. These benefits cover the difference between what an employee was earning in their previous position to the current lighter-duty position if the employee is now earning less than before as a result of the on-the-job injury.
- Temporary Total Disability – This is when an employee is unable to work due to an injury or illness for up to 104 weeks. If the employee is still unable to work after 104 weeks, then there will be an Impairment Rating Evaluation.
- Medical Expenses – This type of benefit covers any medical expenses associated with the injury or illness. If needed, it can also include expenses associated with making necessary modification to a vehicle as a result of an injury.
- Travel Expenses – If the worker must travel in order to receive proper medical care, then Workers Compensation will cover any travel expenses associated with getting to the medical provider.
- Specific Loss Benefits – This applies if the worker’s injuries involves the loss of a body part or another serious type of permanent injury. It will be equivalent to the Temporary total Disability benefit for a determined amount of time.
- Death Benefits – If a worker dies as a result of a job-related injury or illness, then the worker’s heirs will be eligible for certain death benefits including funeral expense reimbursement. Additional benefits can be paid to spouses until they remarry and to children who are under age eighteen.
Depending on the nature of the injury or illness, workers can be eligible for a few different types of the six categories of Workers Compensation in Pennsylvania. Each situation is different and requires careful legal and medical evaluation to determine which benefits are appropriate for the injury or illness.
Chester County Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Can Provide Legal Assistance if You Sustain an Injury on the Job
If you get hurt on the job, no matter the cause, you are very likely entitled to Workers’ Compensation. Workers’ Compensation benefits can also apply to workers who become ill due to a hazardous condition at the worksite. In some situations, injured or disabled workers can also be entitled to additional types of recovery or require the employer to mitigate or correct conditions at the worksite in addition to providing Workers’ Compensation. Employers may also be required to provide special ventilation systems or protective gear to prevent further injuries or illnesses to their workers and the employer could be held responsible if that equipment is not adequate. Chester County Worker’s Compensation lawyers Wusinich, Sweeney & Ryan, LLC can assess your case concerning workplace injury or illness with a free consultation. Contact us online or at 610-594-1600. With an office in Exton, Pennsylvania, we serve Downingtown, West Chester, Exton, Coatesville, Phoenixville, Malvern, Lyndell, Wagontown, Uwchland, Parkesburg, Chester Springs, Lancaster County, and Delaware County.
