Allentown Workers’ Compensation Law Firm

Preparation Before Contacting an Allentown WC Attorney

Uncertain about what to do following a workplace injury? It is vital to promptly report your injury, even if you think you might be at fault, provided no illegal activity is involved. In situations involving occupational illnesses that develop gradually, like mesothelioma, or repetitive stress injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome, immediate reporting upon diagnosis by a medical professional is essential.

Timely notification to your employer or supervisor about the injury, irrespective of its severity or impact on your work attendance, is crucial. Include details like the date, time, and circumstances surrounding the injury in your report. We suggest submitting this information in writing. In the event you’re diagnosed with a job-related illness, it is imperative to report it without delay.

Properly documenting your injuries, medical findings, and bills, along with filing your claim, will greatly fortify your case in the event your employer attempts to dispute or diminish your workers’ compensation benefits.

Do You Need a Workers’ Comp Attorney?

While all employees have the right to represent themselves when filing a worker’s compensation claim, doing so can put them at a considerable disadvantage. Law firms representing workers’ compensation insurance companies vigorously defend their clients and aim to minimize the benefits paid out. It is crucial for workers to have an experienced and well-equipped legal team capable of advocating zealously on their behalf.

Even if an employee is already receiving workers’ compensation benefits, consulting with an experienced attorney can reveal whether the current benefit arrangement is appropriate and can help the worker defend against challenges to their benefits or medical treatment posed by the insurance company.

In cases of severe work-related injuries or illnesses, legal representation is often necessary. Whether you are injured, have developed a work-related illness, or believe you have been treated unfairly, contacting a workers’ compensation attorney is in your best interest. Even if you believe you can handle the situation independently, an attorney is there to guide you through your case from start to finish and only receives payment when your case is won.

Why Hire an Allentown Workers’ Comp Lawyer?

While the workers’ compensation system is intended to fairly compensate injured employees on a prompt basis, it often seems biased towards employers and insurance firms. A skilled Allentown workers’ comp lawyer acts as your champion, ensuring you’re accorded the respect and recompense you deserve.

Having a workers’ compensation attorney means you’re insulated from direct interactions with the insurance provider – they handle these communications. Moreover, insurance claim handlers often schedule an independent medical review, typically with a physician on their payroll. Such doctors might undervalue your injury or try to shift the blame to an outside cause. Obligatory attendance at these sessions can lead to benefit forfeiture if missed. Our expert lawyers in Pennsylvania can support you throughout this process, updating you on major developments, letting you concentrate on healing, and assuring fair, unbiased injury assessments.

Dedicated workers’ compensation lawyers endeavor to obtain the highest compensation for their clients. Engaging an injury attorney becomes especially critical under certain scenarios:

• Employer denies the claim or delays benefit payments.
• The employer’s settlement offer doesn’t sufficiently cover lost income or medical bills.
• The injury prevents the employee from resuming their former role.
• The injury hinders any form of work.
• The injury restricts the worker’s work capacity significantly.
• The worker is either receiving or planning to obtain Social Security disability benefits.
• Employer lacks workers’ compensation insurance.
• Employer retaliates against a worker for filing a workers’ compensation claim.
• Injury resulted from a third party’s actions or employer’s grave negligence.

Even if your matter doesn’t progress to court, consulting our team of Allentown workers’ compensation attorneys can simplify the daunting task of negotiating with your employer and their insurer.

How Do Workers’ Comp Lawyers Help?

Pond Lehocky Giordano LLP, renowned nationally for our proficient team of workers’ comp attorneys, is committed to assisting workers who, following workplace accidents, face unjust refusals of their rightful claims. Tapping into our long history of defending laborers, our Pennsylvania attorneys lead clients through the complex and taxing journey to acquire their due compensation every day. Our expertise spans a wide range of workplace injury cases, including:

• Damage to all body regions: including but not limited to the spine, eyes, respiratory system, and limbs.
• Recurring strain injuries like carpal tunnel and tendonitis.
• Hearing impairment or loss.
• Brain injuries, including concussions, due to accidents like falls.
• Injuries resulting from extreme temperatures or events like electrocution.
• Diseases from toxin exposure such as mesothelioma or Black Lung.
• Muscular damages, fractures, and other physical traumas from activities like lifting.
• Workplace fatalities.

We also represent clients in third-party claims. While workers’ compensation usually means no fault attributed to employers, those hurt at work can take legal recourse against makers of faulty machinery or products that contributed to their injury, besides their workers’ comp claim. Such claims often arise from hazardous work environments, inadequate training, or malfunctioning equipment.

Managing Medical Examinations and Treatment in Pennsylvania

After filing a workers’ compensation claim, employers can request an Independent Medical Examination (IME) to assess the extent of the injury or illness. The goal is often to downplay the severity to reduce or eliminate benefits. An IME may not always be mandatory, and an Allentown workers’ comp lawyer can help you determine its necessity.

Pond Lehocky Giordano LLP maintains an in-house medical team to ensure workers receive access to the best available medical care and doctors. We guarantee impartial, accurate, and compassionate assessments, which provides the best chance of recovery from injury or illness.

Navigating Workers’ Compensation Benefits in Allentown

If you’re an employee who has suffered an injury at work, you may be eligible for wage-loss benefits through a successful compensation claim. Typically, these benefits equate to 66.6% of your weekly pre-tax income prior to the injury. It’s important to note that the minimum and maximum amounts of these benefits can differ depending on the jurisdiction.

There are several types of workers’ compensation benefits:

Wage Loss Benefits: These payments serve to offset the wages you’ve lost due to full or partial disability.

Death Benefits: Should a worker die because of a job-related illness or accident, these payments go to their surviving dependents.

Specific Loss Benefits: These are financial compensations for the loss or permanent disuse of a body part, or for enduring disfigurement or scars on the head, neck, or face.

Medical Care: These benefits cover the essential medical and surgical treatments needed for recovery from a job-related illness or injury.

In scenarios involving partial disability, an employee may receive benefits for a duration extending up to 500 weeks under certain circumstances. The exact length of time benefits are offered may differ by region.

For cases categorized as total disability, the employer or insurance provider can, in many jurisdictions, ask for a medical review. This is to ascertain whether the employee’s medical condition has improved enough to reclassify the injury as a partial disability.