PA Bureau of Workers’ Compensation Unveiling New Electronic Process

For some time now, the Pennsylvania Bureau of Workers’ Compensation has been working on a new electronic system to make interacting with a Workers’ Compensation Judge (WCJ) and the Workers’ Compensation Appeal Board (WCAB) a more efficient and accessible process. The Bureau is unveiling the process, known as the Workers’ Compensation Automation and Integration System (WCAIS), in two stages.

The first stage, which went “live” on September 17, 2012, deals just with the WCAB. As the Bureau stated, with this release:

“Parties will be able to file appeals, petitions and documents online with the WCAB and to upload documents, and search, view and obtain information on the status of appeals in WCAIS.”

The second part of the plan, scheduled for completion in the Fall of 2013, will extend the ability to interact with cases pending before the WCJs, and conduct business generally with the Bureau.

Anyone using this system, including the attorneys, will have to go through the registration process. As attorneys who limit their practice to PA workers’ compensation cases, we are thrilled with the efforts of the Bureau to make the process more efficient and manageable. We commend those at the Bureau with the foresight to bring this plan to its successful completion.