Workers' Compensation Archives | Westmoreland Injury Lawyers Blog

When to Settle Your Workers’ Compensation Case

When you’re looking for workers’ compensation lawyers near you, you’ve come to the right place for information. Here at Westmoreland Injury Lawyers, we talk about workers’ compensation (WC) a lot. From how it works to how to file, or even more info about the types of injuries that qualify and what to do if you’re denied workers comp.

In this post, we want to discuss the pros and cons and what can happen if you decide to settle your workers’ compensation case for a cash payout. Settling can be very tempting, but depending on your injuries, you should be aware of what could happen if you settle too early.

Workers’ Comp Claims Are Insurance Processes, Not Suing Your Employer

There is a common misconception that being hurt on the job means you will have to sue your employer to recover compensation for your injuries. This idea naturally scares many people, and plenty of employees who have experienced a workplace injury suffer silently—and unnecessarily—to avoid what they believe will be a confrontational and emotionally fraught situation at work.

However, making a workers’ compensation (WC) claim in most situations will involve working through an established WC insurance process specially designed to eliminate the need to sue your employer and avoid a fight. If you’ve been hurt, disabled, or developed an illness while working, it is your right to make a workers’ comp claim, and you should not avoid doing so out of fear.

Returning to Work After Workers’ Compensation

After spending time on the mend from a workplace injury, you may be feeling anxious about your return to work. The workers’ compensation (WC) process can be complicated—especially for individuals dealing with their first-ever workers’ comp claim. On top of that, moving beyond an injury can also be emotionally challenging.

Knowing your rights and seeking the counsel of a skilled workers’ compensation attorney can make returning to work much easier. However, we realize that you may still be unsure whether your WC case requires legal advice and support. We’re here to show you how nearly all individuals on workers’ compensation leave will absolutely benefit from an experienced personal injury lawyer’s assistance as they recover and get back on the job. Continue reading “Returning to Work After Workers’ Compensation”

Workers’ Compensation: How it Works

Your Complete Guide to Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer – CHAPTER 4

Being hurt at work is many things: emotionally draining, physically painful, and full of confusing forms and paperwork as you seek workers’ compensation (WC) to cover your medical treatment and other costs—and that’s if things are going well. Naturally, as an injured employee, you have a lot of questions about how the WC process works in Pennsylvania, from getting started with a new claim to what types of injuries even qualify to how you can overcome a denial of benefits.

Who has the answers you need at every step? In short, we do—that is, experienced and compassionate personal injury attorneys like us here at Westmoreland Injury Lawyers.

Today’s post, which is part of our ongoing series to guide you along the way of searching for—and finding—the best personal injury lawyers, highlights the main things you can expect as you work through the WC process. We’ll link together all of our previous blog posts about workers’ comp topics, as well, to give you a comprehensive overview.

Our Top Tips for Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer

Your Complete Guide to Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer – CHAPTER 1

Finding an experienced and compassionate personal injury lawyer who can fight for your rights when you’ve been hurt on the job, in an auto accident, or as the result of a medical mistake may seem like an intimidating or overwhelming task. However, with a little preparation and knowing the right questions to ask during an initial consultation, it doesn’t have to be.

As part of our ongoing post series, your complete guide to hiring a personal injury attorney is right here on our blog to make your search for the best personal injury lawyers easy and worry-free. Today we’re bringing you our top tips and questions to ask before and during a consultation with a prospective legal partner so you can get the most out of this conversation and ultimately hire the lawyer that’s right for you and your unique case. Here are your “must-dos.” Continue reading “Our Top Tips for Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer”

Your Complete Guide to Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer

When you are hurt in an auto accident, on the job, or as the result of a medical mistake, it’s easy to feel confused or overwhelmed in dealing with the aftermath. You may have expensive healthcare or even regular household bills that you have no idea how you can pay, especially if you are off work and have no paycheck coming in. You may have been unfairly treated by insurance companies, doctors, your employer, or others who should be trustworthy but are only looking out for their own best interests.

This is when you need someone who’s looking out for you – an experienced personal injury attorney who can help you put a nightmarish situation behind you and get you the compensation – and justice –you deserve. We can help you replace lost wages, deal with creditors, and stop bill collectors in addition to fighting back against those who have mistreated you.

Today we’re beginning a new post series here on the blog to show you everything you need to know about when you should hire a personal injury lawyer, including how to find the most experienced and compassionate legal representation right in your local community. We invite you to stop back frequently for updates and to learn more about the services that the best personal injury law firms offer. Continue reading “Your Complete Guide to Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer”

How to File for Workers’ Compensation in PA

If you’ve recently been injured on the job, you probably have a lot of questions. And your main concern is likely how to file a claim so you can receive benefits. As we’ve talked about often here on the blog, Pennsylvania’s Workers’ Compensation Act assures that nearly all workers are covered. Even if your employer does not have workers’ compensation (WC) insurance, you may still qualify for benefits when you’ve been hurt at work.

So, what are the steps involved in filing a WC claim? They’re really not very complicated, but we realize that if you’ve never had a work injury before, you probably don’t know what to do first. Plus, there are several things to remember about deadlines and receiving care, too. Read on for more. Continue reading “How to File for Workers’ Compensation in PA”

What to Do If You’re Denied Workers’ Compensation

Have you filed a claim for workers’ compensation (WC) benefits after being injured on the job and received the dreaded denial letter in your mailbox in response? There are various reasons why your workers’ compensation claim may have been denied, but you do have options for pursuing your claim and possibly having the denial reversed. Today we’re taking a look at some of the best next actions you can take after your worker’s comp claim was denied in Pennsylvania. Continue reading “What to Do If You’re Denied Workers’ Compensation”

What Injuries Qualify for Workers’ Compensation?

If you’ve been hurt on the job, or you have a pre-existing medical condition that has been aggravated by your job duties, you may qualify to receive workers’ compensation benefits. Pennsylvania’s Workers’ Compensation Act assures that nearly every worker in our Commonwealth is covered even if your employer does not have workers’ compensation (WC) insurance. There are a variety of benefits available for hurt workers, and almost any type of injury will qualify, as we discussed in an earlier post here on the blog.

Today we’re focusing specifically on some of the most common injuries that qualify Pennsylvania workers for WC benefits, including several that may entitle you to a specific loss award in addition to payment for lost wages and medical care benefits that may be available. If you’ve experienced concussions, knee injuries that have required surgery, back and neck injuries, or any type of scarring on your head, face, or neck (including scars from surgery) as a result of workplace injuries here in the Greensburg, PA area and have not received the benefits you may deserve, we would love to speak with you here at Westmoreland Injury Lawyers. Read on for more and then get in touch with us for a free case review. Continue reading “What Injuries Qualify for Workers’ Compensation?”

What Does Workers’ Compensation Cover?

Whether you’ve just been injured on the job or you’re reviewing company benefits and policies, It’s important to understand what workers’ compensation is all about. This is especially true for those doing manual labor or anything physical in nature; however, neither severity of injury nor the industry you work in will prevent you from being eligible for workers’ compensation. To better understand what’s covered, we’ve broken the topic down for you below. Continue reading “What Does Workers’ Compensation Cover?”