Pittsburgh Workers’ Compensation Lawyers

Getting hurt at work can create problems far beyond the injury itself. You may be unable to perform your regular job, lose income while recovering, need ongoing medical treatment, or suddenly find yourself dealing with an insurance company questioning your benefits.

Pisanchyn Law Firm represents injured workers throughout Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, and Western Pennsylvania.

Our Pittsburgh workers’ compensation lawyers help employees understand their rights, pursue workers’ compensation benefits, challenge denied claims, and respond when an employer or insurance carrier attempts to change or terminate existing benefits.

What Does Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Cover?

Pennsylvania’s workers’ compensation system provides benefits to eligible employees who suffer work-related injuries or illnesses.

Depending upon the circumstances, workers’ compensation benefits may include:

• Medical treatment related to the work injury
• Wage-loss benefits when an injury prevents you from working
• Partial disability benefits when you return to work at reduced earnings
• Benefits for certain permanent injuries
• Specific-loss benefits
• Benefits associated with occupational diseases
• Death benefits for eligible surviving dependents after a fatal workplace injury

The benefits available depend upon the nature of the injury and how it affects your ability to work.

What Should You Do After Getting Hurt at Work?

What you do after a workplace injury can affect your workers’ compensation claim.

If you are injured while working:

1. Report the injury to your employer. Tell your supervisor or employer what happened as soon as possible.
2. Seek appropriate medical treatment. Follow medical recommendations and keep appointments related to your injury.
3. Explain how the injury occurred. Make sure healthcare providers understand that the injury happened while you were working.
4. Document what happened. Keep information about when, where, and how you were injured, including witnesses when applicable.
5. Save paperwork. Keep medical records, work restrictions, correspondence from the insurance company, wage information, and other documents related to your claim.
6. Pay attention to documents from the insurance carrier. Workers’ compensation paperwork can affect your benefits and may contain important deadlines.

If you are uncertain about what the insurance company is asking you to sign or do, speak with a workers’ compensation attorney before making decisions that could affect your claim.

Common Workplace Injuries

A work injury does not have to involve a dramatic industrial accident.

Our Pittsburgh workers’ compensation attorneys represent employees suffering from many types of workplace injuries, including:

• Back and neck injuries
• Herniated discs
• Shoulder injuries
• Knee injuries
• Broken bones
• Head and brain injuries
• Repetitive-motion injuries
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Machinery injuries
• Falls from heights
• Slip and fall injuries
• Burns
• Crush injuries
• Occupational illnesses
• Hearing loss
• Amputations

Workers’ compensation may also apply to medical conditions that develop gradually because of repetitive work activities or occupational exposure.

Who Can File for Workers’ Compensation?

Pennsylvania workers’ compensation applies to many different types of employees and industries.

Our firm represents injured workers including:

• Construction workers
• Warehouse employees
• Healthcare workers
• Office employees
• Manufacturing workers
• Delivery drivers
• Retail employees
• Restaurant employees
• State and municipal workers
• Union workers
• Oil and gas workers
• Industrial workers
• Skilled tradespeople

Eligibility depends upon the employment relationship and circumstances surrounding the injury, not simply the type of job you perform.

What Happens If Your Workers’ Compensation Claim Is Denied?

A denied claim does not necessarily mean that you are not entitled to benefits.

Workers’ compensation claims may be disputed for numerous reasons. An insurance carrier may argue that the injury did not occur at work, question whether the condition is related to your employment, dispute the extent of your disability, or raise other issues.

If your claim is denied, you may have the ability to challenge that decision through Pennsylvania’s workers’ compensation system.

Our attorneys can review the denial, medical evidence, employment information, and circumstances of the injury and explain what options may be available.

What If You’re Already Receiving Workers’ Compensation?

Workers who are already receiving benefits can still encounter disputes.

An insurance carrier may attempt to:

• Suspend benefits
• Terminate benefits
• Modify the amount of wage-loss benefits
• Challenge whether treatment remains necessary
• Require an Independent Medical Examination
• Argue that you are capable of returning to work
• Conduct surveillance
• Seek additional medical information

Receiving benefits today does not necessarily mean there will never be another dispute over the claim.

If the insurance company begins taking steps to change your benefits, it is important to understand what is happening before responding.

Independent Medical Examinations

An insurance carrier may require an injured worker to attend an Independent Medical Examination, commonly referred to as an IME.

The physician conducting the examination is not your treating doctor.

The examination may become important if the insurance company later argues that you have recovered, can return to work, or no longer require certain treatment.

Attend required examinations, but understand the purpose of the evaluation and be accurate when describing your injury, symptoms, limitations, and medical history.

What If Your Injury Developed Over Time?

Not every work injury occurs during one identifiable accident.

Some employees develop medical problems gradually after months or years of repetitive activity.

Examples can include repetitive lifting injuries, carpal tunnel syndrome, occupational hearing loss, back problems, or medical conditions associated with workplace exposure.

These cases can become complicated because the insurance carrier may dispute whether employment actually caused the condition.

Medical evidence and a detailed understanding of the employee’s work activities can become especially important.

Can You Receive Workers’ Compensation If You Return to Work?

Returning to work does not automatically end every workers’ compensation issue.

Some employees return with medical restrictions. Others can perform lighter work but earn less than they did before the injury.

Questions can arise concerning whether the offered position complies with medical restrictions, whether reduced earnings affect available benefits, and what happens if the employee’s condition worsens after returning.

Before agreeing to changes in your workers’ compensation benefits, make sure you understand how the return to work may affect your claim.

Can You Sue Someone Other Than Your Employer?

This is one section I’d definitely include, because it separates this page from generic workers’ comp garbage.

Workers’ compensation generally addresses the relationship between an injured employee and the employer, but some workplace accidents are caused by someone other than the employer or a co-worker.

Depending upon the circumstances, an injured worker may have both a workers’ compensation claim and a separate personal injury claim against a third party.

Examples may include accidents involving:

• Negligent drivers
• General contractors or subcontractors
• Property owners
• Defective machinery or equipment
• Manufacturers
• Other companies working at the job site

Third-party claims can potentially provide compensation for losses that are not available through workers’ compensation alone.

Our attorneys can investigate whether anyone other than your employer may bear responsibility for the accident.

Construction and Industrial Accidents

Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania have workers employed across construction, manufacturing, healthcare, transportation, warehousing, energy, and other industries.

Serious workplace accidents can involve:

• Falls from ladders or scaffolding
• Construction site accidents
• Forklift accidents
• Cranes and heavy equipment
• Machinery
• Falling objects
• Electrical injuries
• Fires and explosions
• Vehicle accidents
• Trenching accidents
• Industrial equipment

These accidents can involve both workers’ compensation issues and potential third-party liability, making a complete investigation particularly important after a severe injury.

What If Your Employer Doesn’t Want You to File a Claim?

An injured worker should not assume that an employer or supervisor gets to decide whether the employee has the right to pursue workers’ compensation benefits.

If you are being discouraged from reporting an injury, pressured not to file a claim, or experiencing problems after reporting a workplace accident, document what is occurring and speak with a workers’ compensation attorney about your situation.

Pittsburgh Workers’ Compensation Attorneys Serving Western Pennsylvania

Pisanchyn Law Firm represents injured employees throughout Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, and Western Pennsylvania.

Our Pittsburgh office is located at:

Pisanchyn Law Firm
241 Fourth Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
412-261-1212

That matches the Pittsburgh office information currently displayed on the firm’s site.

Talk to a Pittsburgh Workers’ Compensation Lawyer

You do not need to wait until your claim has been denied to speak with an attorney.

Whether you were recently injured, are having difficulty obtaining benefits, have been scheduled for an IME, are being asked to return to work, or are facing an attempt to terminate or modify your benefits, Pisanchyn Law Firm can review your situation and explain your options.

Call our Pittsburgh office at 412-261-1212 or 1-800-444-5309 for a free consultation.

For workers’ compensation matters accepted on a contingency-fee basis, attorney fees are governed by applicable Pennsylvania law and the workers’ compensation process.