There are many employment laws that protect workers from misconduct by employers and from dangerous employment circumstances. Every employer in Pennsylvania typically needs to comply with worker safety laws to protect their staff and to carry workers’ compensation insurance in case an employee gets hurt on the job.
The benefits available compensate workers who developed work-related medical conditions or get hurt on the job. However, mistakes and oversights on your part as a claimant might impact your ability to get the benefits you need.
What are three things that every injured worker in Pennsylvania needs to know?
You must make a report quickly
The best-case scenario for an injured worker is a same-day report to their employer. The sooner you notify the company about what happens, the easier it will be for you to prove that your injury relates to your employment. Technically, if you expect to get benefits going back to the initial date of injury, you only have 21 days to notify your employer of the injury.
You and your employer should follow medical directions
The doctor overseeing your treatment may recommend certain care options to you, such as physical therapy or surgery. If you hope to continue receiving benefits, you will typically need to comply with the care plan created by the physician overseeing your treatment.
If the doctor suggests limitations on your work performance as you heal, your employer has an obligation to comply and to assist you with securing light-duty work or possibly different tasks altogether until you recover.
Using your own health insurance could be a mistake
Did you know that workers’ compensation will pay for 100% of your medical care? That is much better than the coverage available through most health insurance policies, which frequently pass many expenses on to you.
You may have a co-pay for each appointment or a deductible you have to meet before you get benefits at all. The company might even pass on a flat percentage of your care costs in the form of coinsurance. Beyond that, your health insurance coverage won’t connect you with disability benefits the way that workers’ compensation can.
Learning more about workers’ compensation benefits can help you get the support you deserve after an injury at work.