INJURED ON THE JOB AND NEED HELP?

The Pennsylvania Federation of Injured Workers can help you understand your rights under the Pennsylvania Worker's Compensation Act.  If you need some information about Pennsylvania's Worker's Compensation System or you need a little support to make it through tough times the P.F.I.W. is here for you.  We help injured workers because "An Injury to One is an Injury to All"!

WORKER'S COMPENSATION MANDATE

There is an opinion in law that explains what the purpose of the workers compensation act is to be; the only problem is finding a way to get the commonwealth to enforce it.  The following is part of a decision handed out by Judge Robert Simpson: "The object of all interpretation and construction of statutes is to ascertain and effectuate the intention of the General Assembly." 1 Pa. C.S.A. §1921(a).  The ultimate goal of the workers' compensation program is to make an injured employee whole.  O'Brien v. Workers' Compensation Appeal Board (City of Philadelphia), 780 A.2d 829 (Pa. Cmwlth. 2001). 

MEDICAL TREATMENT

When injured on the job the injured worker must treat with a physician, the injured worker selects, from an Employer's List of Defined Physicians Defined that is properly posted at the job site.  It is important to know that there is a reason the employer has chosen that particular physician to be a company panel physician.  The physician has agreed to treat any work injury with as little expense as possible.  This may lead to the injury not receiving aggressive treatment necessary for a complete recovery.

Note: There are exceptions to this part of Pennsylvania Worker's Compensation Act 57.  Some employers do not follow the guidelines of the Employer's List of Physicians Defined, therefore allowing the injured worker to choose the physician they want to be treated by.  In Pennsylvania, injured workers must treat with a physician from an Employer's List of Physicians Defined, for the first 90 days after the injury.  After the 90 days injured workers can get the physician they choose.

PENNSYLVANIA'S WORKER'S COMPENSATION ACT 57

Workers Compensation Act 57 legislation was passed the same way the recent 2005 pay raise was passed.  It was voted on and passed during the late hours of the night without any public debate opportunity.  The reason for it being passed that way is because it would not have stood debate.

The Legislative Leadership hoped this bad worker's compensation reform legislation would go unnoticed by the majority of workers and it did.  Many workers are under the impression they will be taken care of in the event of a workplace injury.  In many serious injury claims this is not true.  It has become standard practice of self-insured employers and workers compensation insurers to deny a serous workplace injury to save on worker's compensation insurance premiums or for self-insured's medical costs.

Pennsylvania Worker's Compensation Act 57

LEGAL REPRESENTATION

When it is time to get legal help for your workers compensation claim know the right questions to ask an attorney.  It is important to select an attorney that will go the distance in the legal battle to protect your right to receive workers compensation when injured on the job.

Learn how to evaluate an attorney.  Take advantage of a free consolation before you decide on an attorney.

Note: It is very important to investigate the attorney that will represent you because they will be working for your financial security for the future and it is very hard to replace an attorney once an agreement has been signed.

EMPLOYMENT FOR INJURED WORKERS

If an injured worker is able to return to work but not the job done before the work injury there are certain rights guaranteed.  Workers injured on the job have the right to return back to their pre-injury job or an equivalent job earning the same income as they did prior to becoming injured/disabled.  An employer cannot fire an injured worker because of their workplace injury disability.  Injured workers have a right to good life sustaining and family supporting employment after a workplace injury/disease.

Workers with a disability caused by a workplace injury/disease deserve better treatment when it comes to employment other than what the state allows now.  Employers should not just push an injured worker to the side as if nothing happened but rather embrace the opportunity to make someone's life better.  Offering employment that no one else wants and expecting an injured worker to take it because the law demands it is just wrong.  The workers compensation mandate says "the ultimate goal of the workers' compensation program is to make an injured employee whole" and the includes quality employment opportunity and training if necessary.