Pittsburgh Workers’ Compensation Lawyers

Workers’ compensation is a form of insurance that provides financial and medical benefits to employees who have been injured on the job. These benefits may include medical care, disability pay, and vocational rehabilitation services. Workers’ compensation also provides death benefits to surviving family members in the event of a fatal workplace accident.

Workers’ compensation can cover the necessary medical treatment, including hospital visits, prescription drugs, rehabilitation services, surgery, testing, and related expenses when an employee suffers a work-related injury or illness. In addition to covering medical costs, workers’ compensation may also provide disability payments for lost wages if the employee cannot return to work due to their injury or illness. In some cases, workers’ compensation may even pay for retraining or education programs to help injured employees find alternative employment. This compensation is typically capped at either 2/3 of the employee’s salary or the statewide limit, which is adjusted yearly.

Workers’ compensation is a no-fault system, meaning that employers cannot be sued in civil court for injuries suffered by their employees unless you can prove that the employer acted with intentional disregard for safety.

Generally speaking, sustaining an injury at work entitles you to collect workers’ compensation; however, there are some contexts in which you would not be eligible, such as: 

• You are injured during an activity that is not related to your job. For example, injuries sustained during horseplay would not be covered under worker’s comp.
• The behavior that led to your injury is considered reckless, such as failing to use proper safety equipment or being under the influence of drugs or alcohol

Examples of Injuries that Are Eligible for Workers’ Compensation

Some common injuries that may be eligible for workers’ compensation include: 

• Slip and Falls: If your employer is not properly maintaining floors, stairs, and walkways, you could slip and suffer an injury. 
• Back Injuries: Common in roles involving manual labor and movement, back injuries like herniated discs, strains, or spinal cord injuries are often very serious. 
• Occupational Illnesses: If you work with chemicals, fumes, or other hazardous substances, you could develop a disease or illness. Common among these illnesses are things like rashes, debilitating allergic reactions, lung disease, or even cancer. 
• Repetitive Motion Injuries: Job responsibilities that require consistent, repetitive movements like typing or using heavy machinery could leave you with carpal tunnel, tendonitis, or bursitis.

The above list is by no means exhaustive. You very well could suffer a unique injury due to the nature of your work. That is why it is crucial to get in touch with us as soon as possible—so we can evaluate your case and tell you where you stand.