One of the first questions that injured workers typically ask after a workplace accident is, “How long do I have?” This is an important question and one that deserves a specific answer because you do need to know how long you have to meet deadlines in order to preserve your rights to workers’ compensation benefits. But that’s not all you need to know.
First, the Dates
Pennsylvania workers’ compensation law gives you:
- 120 days to report your injury to your employer. Generally, if you do not report your injury to your employer within that time, you will not be able to recover workers’ compensation benefits. However, there are some exceptions if your illness or injury develops over time.
- Three years to file a claim. If you provided your employer with the required notice and your employer failed to accept responsibility for your claim, you have three years to file a claim.
If an exception to these general rules applies, your lawyer can advise you of that.
Now, the Rest of What You Need to Know About Workers’ Comp Deadlines
You now know how long you have to file a workers’ compensation claim, but did you also know that:
- You do not have to wait this long.
- There are risks to waiting until the last minute to file any claim.
- You have the right to take action immediately.
These details may not be written in any workers’ compensation law, but they are important. You can talk to your lawyer about the advantages of notifying your employer of your injury and of filing a claim.
Don’t Delay Your Own Recovery
Instead, contact a Lancaster workers’ compensation lawyer today. Contacting a lawyer does not mean that you are going to immediately file a claim, but it does mean that your rights will be protected, and you won’t have to guess what the right moves are for you to make after you’ve been hurt on the job. To learn more, please start a live chat with us today.