In addition to, or in place of Workers' Compensation benefits, you may be entitled to receive long or short term disability, social security disability, unemployment compensation, or supplemental income benefits. Furthermore, if you are a union member or have a pension through your work, you may also be entitled to these benefits.

In order for your employer or the insurance company to stop paying your Workers' Comp. benefits, you need to sign a something or they need to have a judge's approval. The only exception to this rule is if your employer mails you a notification of suspension or modification of your benefits, which you then have 20 days to appeal. If you do not appeal this within 20 days, your checks will stop.

If your employer or the insurance company files a Termination or Suspension Petition, a judge will hear the case. If you are called to such a hearing, it is crucial that you have the support of an experienced Workers' Compensation lawyer, as the judge may rule to suspend your benefits for the duration of litigation, which may take up to one year.

The only way your employer or the insurance company can stop paying Workers' Compensation benefits is if you sign something closing your case or if a judge rules that your benefits should be terminated. The only exception to this rule is if the employer or insurance company mails you a notice of modification or suspension, which you then have 20 days to appeal. If your checks stop for any reason that is not clear to you, contact our Workers' Compensation attorneys immediately.

Yes. If you collect both unemployment and Workers' Compensation benefits, your employer is entitled to a credit for any unemployment funds you receive. If, however, your unemployment pays you less than Workman's Comp. would pay for an approved injury, your employer must make up the difference.

In order to collect your Workers' Compensation benefits in Pennsylvania, you need to carefully document the details of your injury. Tell your employer immediately if you suffer an injury on the job or a work-related illness, including the date and location of the injury. Once you have lost work time as a result of your disease or injury, your employer is required to report your injury to the Bureau of Workers' Compensation by filing a First Report of Injury.

After the date of your injury, your employer has 21 days to accept or decline your Workers' Comp. claim. If your claim is denied, you may file a petition for a hearing before a Workers' Comp. judge.

If you are injured at work in Pennsylvania, the Workers' Compensation Act entitles you to certain benefits.

Lost Wages and Medical Care

The most common Workers' Comp. benefits paid to injured workers concern lost wages and medical care. If it is determined that you cannot return to your job, or can only work part-time as a result of your injuries, you are entitled to payments for lost wages. Pennsylvania law also entitles injured workers to the payment of surgical and/or medical services, if such services are related to your injury or occupational disease.

Specific Loss and Death Benefits

In some cases, an injured worker may lose the permanent use of a limb, a digit, sense of sight or hearing, or suffer serious and permanent disfigurement of the head, face or neck. In these cases, the injured worker may be entitled to what are called specific loss benefits. If a workplace injury or occupational disease leads to death, the surviving dependents of the deceased may receive death benefits.

Workers' Comp. wage loss benefits are equal to about 2 of your average weekly wage, and there is a weekly maximum award. In some cases, wage loss benefits can be offset for 1 of Social Security benefits, retirement pension, severance pay, unemployment compensation, or other earnings received by the injured employee.

Absolutely. If you fail to report wages and/or benefits received in addition to Workers' Compensation benefits, or if you do not honestly complete all Workers' Compensation forms, you may be guilty of insurance fraud. Workers' Compensation insurance companies are on the look-out for any fraudulent behavior, and will use any false statements against you, possibly reporting you to law enforcement authorities.

There are a number of reasons that Workers' Compensation wage loss payments can be stopped:

• If your employer or insurer can prove that you have returned to work at wages equal to or more than your earnings prior to the injury.

• If you are receiving temporary Workers' Comp. benefits during the 90 day period following the report of your injury, your insurer or employer may stop benefits when they inform you that your claim is denied.

• A Workers' Compensation judge can stop your benefits after a hearing.

• You sign an agreement to stop Workers' Compensation benefits.

• Your 500 week period of partial disability status expires, or if you fail to appeal a notification of suspension or modification of your status.

Total Disability Status

If a worker is proven to be totally disabled and subsequently unable to work, he or she is eligible for total disability status. After 104 weeks of total disability, the insurer or employer may request a medical examination to determine if the employee is still at least 50% injured or impaired based upon his or her workplace injury or occupational disease. If this 50% threshold is not met, the employee may be moved to partial disability status. This does not change the amount of the employee's weekly benefits, but limits their claim to 500 more weeks of disability payments.

Partial Disability Status

An employee who has partial disability status is only eligible to collect Workers' Comp. benefits for up to 500 weeks. If the injured worker can return to work at a lower paying job within the work-related restrictions set by the approved treating doctor, he or she is also eligible for partial disability status. If, while under partial disability status, and injured worker obtains an approved doctor's determination that his or her impairment is greater to or equal to 50%, the injured worker may file a petition for reinstatement of total disability status.

If you are collecting Workers' Compensation wage loss benefits and your employer is able to prove that local employment is available to you, within your medical restrictions, you may receive an offer of employment. While you have the right to accept or decline this job offer, if you intend to decline you must have a doctor's statement that you cannot perform the job.

If you decline the job, your employer may petition the Workers' Comp. judge to reduce or stop your wage loss benefits based upon that job.

In order to ensure that your medical expenses are paid for by your employer through Workers' Compensation benefits, you will most likely need to be treated by a physician approved by your employer or your employer's insurance carrier. In many cases, an employer has posted a list of six or more physicians in your workplace, and you need to visit one of these providers in order to have your medical bills covered under the law. You need to continue treatment with that carrier for at least 90 days following your first visit. After this period, or if your employer has not previously posted a list of acceptable providers, you may seek treatment with the doctor of your choice.

Once you have begun to receive Workers' Comp. benefits, your employer or the insurer responsible for paying your claim has the right to request an examination by a doctor of their choice. This is called an IME, or independent medical exam. Failure to attend an IME may result in suspension of your benefits.

Workers' Compensation attorneys typically do not recover any money until they win your case. In Workers' Comp. cases, attorney's fees are set by the presiding judge and based upon a percentage of the client's compensation rate, usually 20% of the client's weekly compensation checks or settlement amount. When a Workers' Compensation lawyer recovers compensation, it is deducted by the employer or the insurance company from the client's check and sent directly to the law firm.

Under Pennsylvania law, Workers' Compensation provides benefits to workers who suffer from an occupational disease or who were injured on the job. Injured workers are entitled to benefits to help make up for lost wages and medical bills regardless of who was at fault or the previous physical condition of the injured worker.