The impact of pensions and “retirement” on PA workers’ compensation cases seems to be a frequent issue visited by the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania. Just last month, we told you about the decision in City of Pittsburgh v. Workers’ Compensation Appeal Board (Robinson) [Where the Court found that a “disability”…
Many times an injured worker in PA will be so impaired that he or she may also qualify for Social Security Disability benefits. Contrary to what some injured workers may have thought, you can receive both Pennsylvania workers’ comp benefits and Social Security Disability benefits at the same time (though…
We were humbled and appreciative to learn that our blog has been selected by LexisNexis as one of the Top 25 Blogs for Workers’ Compensation and Workplace Issues. Considering all of the excellent blogs covering just Pennsylvania workers’ comp issues, it was incredibly rewarding for us to be selected to…
Last week, we attended a PA Workers’ Compensation seminar in Hershey, Pennsylvania. This is the “Fall Section Meeting of the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Workers’ Compensation Section.” For years, workers’ comp attorneys from across the entire State of PA have gathered at this seminar to learn and discuss new cases and…
In the Summer 2010 issue of News & Notes, published by the PA Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, Workers’ Compensation Judge (WCJ) Joseph Hagan was named to be Judge Manager for the Southeastern District of Pennsylvania. Judge Hagan has been a WCJ in this district, working from the Philadelphia Workers’ Compensation…
Back in October, 2009, we noted that the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania accepted the appeal (or, as formally said, “accepted allocatur”) in the matter of Diehl v. Workers’ Compensation Appeal Board (I.A. Construction). This is the case where the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania first found that a PA workers’ compensation…
Though workers’ compensation laws vary from State to State, there are some elements which remain fairly constant. Workers’ compensation laws are generally “no fault” statutes (no need for an injured worker to demonstrate negligence), and they generally exclude the recovery of “pain and suffering.” Workers’ compensation systems also are usually…
**Update – On April 4, 2011, The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania accepted appeal in the Robinson case. Therefore, what we have written here about the status of the law in Pennsylvania may change. Stay tuned for more details!** In this blog, we have addressed the consequences of “retirement,” as it…
When an injured worker in PA wants to settle his or her Pennsylvania workers’ compensation claim in exchange for a lump sum of money, the process generally used is the “Compromise & Release Agreement.” This type of workers’ comp settlement is voluntary between the parties. A Compromise & Release can…
As Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation attorneys, we see a wide variety of conditions faced by injured workers, from broken arms and legs to Complex Regional Pain Syndrome and Brachial Plexopathy, and everything in between. While the conditions plaguing these injured workers vary widely, there is one constant we see in case…