Even if your work-related injury is not life-threatening, it could still lead to medical expenses and quite a few days off from your job in Pennsylvania. Like many people, you may not have extra money to pay the costs and cover your lost wages without having to juggle your finances. At Douglas, Joseph & Olson Attorneys At Law, we often answer questions about what workers’ options are after an on-the-job injury.
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry’s Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, state law requires almost all Pennsylvania employers to carry workers’ compensation insurance. This coverage should pay all of the medical expenses related to your work injury beginning with any charges on the first day of your injury and going forward.
Benefits should also pay a portion of your wages while you are unable to work, beginning the eighth day after the day of your injury. The first seven days’ worth of payments are paid after you have missed 14 days of work. It could take up to 21 days for you to receive your first check if you notified your employer of the injury immediately following the accident.
Your benefits checks do not cover your full wages. Instead, they are figured based on the average amount of your weekly wage; however, they may be calculated in more than one way. The benefits are typically two-thirds of that amount, and they may also be offset by Social Security benefits, severance pay and other income you may receive.
More information about the workers’ compensation system and benefits is available on our webpage.