There is a common misconception that the workers’ compensation insurance carrier controls medical treatment whenever a worker is injured in Pennsylvania. This is addressed in broad strokes on our website. The truth is, a workers’ compensation insurer in PA may control medical treatment for the first 90 days of an…
While many folks know what happens when an Employer violates Pennsylvania law and fails to carry PA workers’ compensation insurance (this is governed by the Uninsured Employers’ Guaranty Fund [UEGF]), few know what happens when a PA workers’ compensation insurance carrier goes bankrupt or ceases to exist. This is where…
As we have discussed previously on this blog, physical injuries in Pennsylvania are treated differently than mental ones. Provided that a physical injury was suffered in the scope and course of the job, benefits should be payable. Mental injuries, though, have a different and additional requirement – the injury must…
The Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Act (Act) is very specific – a workers’ comp insurance carrier is responsible for the payment of all reasonable and necessary medical expenses, which are related to a work injury. As always, the devil is in the details. For example, is the payment of medical bills…
Back in 2008, we discussed the decision of the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania in the matter of Weney v. Workers’ Compensation Appeal Board (Mac Sprinkler Systems, Inc.) [Note that the formatting, with the WCAB listed as the party and the Employer in parentheses, has been reversed since this decision]. This…
We are excited to relay the news that the Pennsylvania Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, Office of Adjudication, has announced that there will be three new additions to the workers’ comp bench. Two will be serving the Philadelphia Workers’ Compensation Hearing Office and one will be in the Williamsport Workers’ Compensation…
Back in November, 2023, we discussed the case of M.R. Schmidt v. Schmidt, Kirifides and Rassias, PC (Workers Compensation Appeal Board). As you may recall, this case addressed an issue regarding payment for CBD oil used in conjunction with treatment for a work-related injury. The Workers’ Compensation Judge (WCJ) ordered…
Workers’ compensation benefits in Pennsylvania consist of three types (aside from fatal claim benefits, which are not really relevant for this discussion). These are described in detail on our website. There are wage loss benefits (also known as “indemnity”), medical benefits and “specific loss” benefits. Specific loss benefits are paid…
As we previously mentioned on our Blog, Senate Bill 1232 was created to require insurance carriers to offer direct deposit of PA workers’ compensation benefits to injured workers across the State of Pennsylvania. Hopefully, this will allay the difficulties that many injured workers have with receiving their workers’ comp checks…
As we have discussed in this blog previously, changes to an accepted work injury in PA come in two types – “corrective” and “consequential.” The difference between these two situations can make or break a case, as recently illustrated by the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania in their decision in the…