When you’ve been injured on the job in Lancaster or suffer an occupational illness in Carlisle, the Pennsylvania workers’ compensation program is in place to protect you. Under commonwealth law, you are guaranteed that your employer will pay the medical bills for your job-related injury. If your injuries are so severe that you have to miss a lot of work, you will even be paid a portion of your lost wages.
If you have been injured at work and your having issues getting your workers’ compensation contact a leading workers’ compensation lawyer in Harrisburg today for a free legal consultation.
Although the Pennsylvania legislature wrote the laws for workers’ comp, the money for the program comes from your employer, not the government. Most employers are legally bound to purchase insurance to make sure money will be available when a worker files a claim. But some employers try to cheat. Rather than pay a modest insurance premium, they keep the money and discourage workers from filing claims after an injury.
How do they do this? They lie.
Watch for these five workers’ compensation lies from your employer
Some bosses will try any excuse to discourage workers from filing a claim that could cost the company money. Sometimes the lies are just outrageous. The lies that make us angriest include these:
- “The law doesn’t apply to small businesses like ours.” LIE. Workers’ compensation rules in Pennsylvania apply to every private business employing at least one person.
- “Your injury really didn’t happen on the job. Everyone knows you had a bad back for years.” FALSE. Bosses don’t get to pick and choose which injuries will be covered. If a workplace accident significantly worsens an existing medical condition, you are potentially eligible to receive comp benefits.
- “Your accident wasn’t our fault, so we don’t have to pay.” FALSE. In Pennsylvania, workers’ compensation is a no-fault program. It doesn’t matter who was responsible, or even if nobody can be considered at fault.
- “We don’t have to pay when it’s clear you still have job skills and could work somewhere else.” LIE. Your employer is required to provide medical benefits until you have improved as much as possible, and wage benefits until you can return to work. A complicated formula may even allow you to continue wage benefits once you’re working again, if you have to take a lower-paying job.
- “You didn’t follow the rules on notifying management and keeping doctors’ appointments, so we don’t have to pay.” UH-OH—maybe this one is true. Your company must display, in a worker-accessible area, a notice informing you of your workers’ compensation rights and obligations. If you fail to follow through on your duties, your benefits can be cut off. This is just one reason why it’s crucial to contact a Harrisburg workers’ compensation lawyer soon after your accident to guarantee the paperwork is properly filled out and all the rules are followed.
If your employer is trying to cheat you out of your fair benefits, call Schmidt Kramer today at 717-888-8888 locally, or 888-476-0807 toll-free. Ask us to send you a FREE copy of our informative client book, Who Pays The Bills When You Are Injured At Work? (we’ll send it at our own expense). If you like our approach, call again for a FREE consultation with one of our workplace injury attorneys. We’ll let you know how we can help you get the benefits you deserve.