When you have been injured on the job, a skilled Allentown workers’ compensation lawyer can help you file a claim and secure the compensation you need to make a full recovery.
For nearly 70 years, the Allentown attorneys at Munley Law have handled complex workers’ compensation claims, helping our clients to meet strict filing deadlines and contest unjust denials. We have won millions in settlements for our clients to date, including $20 million for a commercial vehicle accident, $12 million for a forklift accident case, and $1 million for a crush injury sustained by a worker. Our legal work has earned us recognition from the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, the National Trial Lawyers Association, Lawdragon, and Best Lawyers, which has named J. Christopher Munley as Lawyer of the Year for Workers’ Compensation. All our attorneys belong to the Pennsylvania Bar Association, through which Caroline Munley has been certified as a workers’ compensation specialist by the Section on Workers’ Compensation Law.
Contact Munley Law today to learn more about your right to workers’ compensation benefits after a work-related injury. We offer free initial consultations and charge no fees unless we win your case.
How Common Are Workplace Injuries in Allentown, PA?
Allentown workplace injuries impact thousands of local workers each year. From repetitive motion injuries at Amazon’s fulfillment centers to slip and falls at Lehigh Valley Hospital, from heavy machinery accidents at Mack Trucks to construction injuries throughout Lehigh County—over 3,000 Allentown workers annually join Pennsylvania’s statewide total of nearly 200,000 workplace accident victims.
According to the Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Report, a total of 165,985 work injury and illness cases were reported in 2024 alone, including 3,939 in Lehigh County. This represents an injury rate of 27.0 per 1,000 workers, up from the 26.6 per 1,000 rate calculated in 2023. Over 89,796 of these cases – more than half of the total reported – took place in two supersectors: Education and Health Services, and Trade and Transportation.
These Allentown work injuries create dual financial burdens: mounting medical expenses and significant lost wages during recovery periods. Pennsylvania workers’ compensation insurance exists specifically to protect Allentown employees during these difficult times, providing essential medical coverage and wage replacement benefits regardless of who caused the workplace accident.
The Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry’s latest data reveals distinct patterns in Allentown workers’ compensation claims, with certain injuries occurring more frequently across the city’s dominant industries. Understanding these common Allentown workplace injuries helps workers identify potential hazards and know their compensation rights when accidents occur.
If you’ve suffered any of these common workplace injuries in Allentown, the experienced Allentown workers’ compensation attorneys at Munley Law can guide you through securing maximum benefits for your specific injury type. Contact our Allentown office today for a free consultation about your workers’ compensation claim.
Contact a Personal Injury Lawyer at Munley Law
Call Us At 844-686-5397 Most Common Workplace Injuries in Allentown
Some injuries occur more often than others in the workplace. These are the most common in Allentown. PA:
Strain and Sprain Workplace Incidents
According to the Pennsylvania DLI, common injuries in workers’ compensation claims, like sprains and strains, are prevalent across all industries. In 2024, there were 58,295 cases of sprain and strain injuries reported in Pennsylvania, accounting for 35.1% of all injuries reported that year. Both are soft tissue trauma. Sprains refer to damage that occurs to tendons or ligaments, and strains refer to muscle damage. Sprains and strains can be minor and do not always require medical attention. Sometimes an ice pack and a little rest help injured employees recover quickly. However, severe sprains and strains are painful and often require some healing downtime.
Two of the most significant issues with sprains and strains include the potential for doing further damage and the increased likelihood of suffering similar physical damage in the future. Employees who try to cope with a severe sprain or strain without seeking medical attention because they do not want to file a claim risk causing further trauma to the affected area. A sprain or strain occurs when the soft tissue is stretched or pulled beyond its normal range. Continued use without proper mobilization or healing time can lead to a painful tear in the soft tissue, often requiring surgery.
Contusions and Crush Injuries
The second most frequently reported workplace injuries leading to workers’ compensation claims in Allentown and throughout Pennsylvania are contusions and crush trauma. There were 36,684 cases of these injuries reported in 2024, amounting to 22.1% of the total cases. A contusion is a bruise. Bruises occur when someone experiences a direct blow or impact from another object or person, damaging the blood vessels right below the skin’s surface. The contusions that lead to workers’ compensation claims are typically severe and involve significant tissue damage.
Crush injuries commonly occur around heavy machinery, especially among warehouse employees, emphasizing the importance of consulting an Allentown warehouse workers’ compensation lawyer. They often happen when an Allentown warehouse worker gets caught or trapped in between something, such as between a piece of machinery and a wall or the ground, or between two pieces of machinery. Crush trauma can be minor, but severe cases might lead to fatalities, triggering the necessity to understand workers’ compensation death benefits in Allentown.
Crush accidents come with secondary issues, including:
- Bleeding
- Nerve damage
- Muscle, ligament, tendon, and other tissue damage
- Fractures
- Cuts
- Infections
Cuts, Lacerations, and Puncture Wounds
The Pennsylvania DLI reports that cuts, lacerations, and puncture wounds are the third most common accidents across the state. There were 26,546 of these incidents in 2024, constituting 16% of the total injuries reported. Cuts refer to what people commonly think of when they injure themselves with a knife or other object that breaks the skin in a straight line. Lacerations are similar to cuts but jagged; the skin rips or tears. Puncture wounds occur when a sharp object breaks through one or more layers of skin.
When a derma band or STERIS trip cannot repair a cut, laceration, or puncture wound, doctors often use staples or stitches in the wound for it to heal. These types of injuries typically leave scars. In the most severe cases, an employee might need surgery to repair the wound and potentially some cosmetic surgery to reduce scarring. The exact treatment depends on the specifics of the physical harm suffered.
Fractures and Broken Bones
You might think that broken bones and fractures are the most common type of accident in Allentown, but fractures are lower on the list, accounting for 3.5% of the Pennsylvania work injuries recorded in 2024. Regardless, broken bones that occur in workplaces almost always lead to a claim. Doctors have to immobilize a break, no matter how small. This requires a splint, at the very least, but most who suffer fractures must wear a cast for at least six weeks.
Even the most minor fracture can impair someone’s ability to do their job and force a worker to take some time off or a reduced schedule, leading to a claim. Breaking a finger or a toe interferes with manual activities and mobility. Leg fractures require a cast and crutches, making it impossible for injured team members to do anything but desk duties.
“Since 1959, we have secured over $1 billion in
compensation for our clients.”
Daniel W. Munley
Burn Injuries
The final most common work injuries in Allentown are burn injuries. Heat and chemical burns accounted for 1.8% of the total injuries in PA in 2024, making them less common than other injury types, but still worthy of concern. Employees, particularly healthcare workers, can suffer severe burns from electricity, heat, and chemicals, depending on their work environment, making assistance from an Allentown healthcare worker injury lawyer beneficial.
Medical professionals assess heat burns by degree. Even minor first-degree burns can lead to a claim if they cover a large portion of the body. More severe heat burns extend through multiple layers of skin, and some even expose the bone. Burn victims who experience the most severe burns typically have to spend weeks or months in a hospital burn unit to heal.
Lost Wages and Compensation Programs for Employees with Burn Injuries
Chemical burns and electrical burns are similar in that they can also cause internal organ damage in addition to external physical damage to exposed areas of the body. Chemical burns are often a result of exposure to corrosive substances, including things such as:
- Ammonia, bleach, and other cleaning products
- Battery acid
- Concrete mix
Those who suffer chemical burns face loss of vision if the substance gets in their eyes. If chemicals peel the skin away from a person, skin grafts are also necessary for chemical burn victims. Electrical burns occur when someone is exposed to live electric currents, or a spark causes a fire—common scenarios in construction sites, where an Allentown construction accident lawyer may help.
Other Workplace Injuries Leading to Workers’ Compensation Claims
We covered the most common accidents according to Pennsylvania’s Department of Labor and Industry. However, staff sometimes suffer more than one injury; 2.7% of the workplace injury reports in 2024 involved multiple injury types. Also, they might suffer other less common trauma, such as amputation, which would result in specific loss benefits. Toxic chemical exposure can also lead to injury while on the job. There were 27,487 injuries classified as ‘other’ documented in 2024, amounting to a notable 16.6% of the total incidents reported.
We also have decades of experience handling cases involving traumatic brain injuries sustained on the job. Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) can occur after a fall, a motor vehicle accident, or after being struck with a heavy object, often requiring specialized legal assistance. The Allentown workers’ compensation lawyers at Munley Law know how serious and complex this type of trauma can be, and we will fight to ensure you receive fair financial support.
How an Allentown Workers’ Compensation Lawyer Provides Assistance
In many situations, injured team members can file a claim, receive benefits while they heal, make a full recovery, and return to their jobs. However, this isn’t always the case. A lawyer can guide you through the claims process, and in certain situations involving outside parties, an attorney can assist with third-party claims in workers’ compensation to secure additional compensation.
Specific ways a lawyer from Munley Law can help after an Allentown workplace injury include:
- Helping seek when an insurance company denies a workers’ comp claim.
- Identifying potential third parties who might hold some financial responsibility for injuries.
- Helping injured workers take action when an employer retaliates or threatens to retaliate after filing a claim.
Why Choose Munley Law?
When you’re dealing with a work-related injury, experience and focus matter. Munley Law has built a national reputation for excellence in workers’ compensation, representing injured workers with deep legal knowledge, proven results, and a long-standing commitment to protecting employees’ rights.
Our experienced lawyers have won more than $1 billion in settlements for our clients during nearly seven decades of legal work. Our lawyers and partners have been recognized by The Summit Council, the American Board of Trial Advocates, and the Litigation Counsel of America, and all belong to the American Association for Justice, where Marion Munley is currently the Vice President.
Munley Law’s attorneys are all members of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, through which Caroline Munley is named a certified workers’ compensation specialist by the Section on Workers’ Compensation Law, and all our lawyers have received honors from Best Lawyers, with J. Christopher Munley awarded Lawyer of the Year for Workers’ Compensation. Additionally, all of our partners have been named to the National Trial Lawyers Association’s Top 100 Trial Lawyers in Pennsylvania directory.
Talk To a Personal Injury Attorney Now
Contact the Workers’ Compensation Lawyers at Munley Law
If you have suffered an injury at your place of employment, contact an experienced workers’ compensation lawyer for a free case review.
One of our team members can evaluate your case, determine your eligibility for damages, and guide you on the best path forward for your situation.
Contact us today for a free consultation.
Daniel W. Munley
Daniel W. Munley is an award-winning personal-injury attorney and champion of plaintiffs’ rights. For decades he’s won multi-million verdicts and settlements and is recognized as a national leader in truck and rideshare litigation,including a record $26 million truck settlement in Northeastern Pennsylvania and a $20 million recovery in 2024 for life-altering commercial-vehicle injuries.
Reviewed by Bernadine Munley, Esq., Personal Injury Attorney at Munley Law, on February 10, 2026.
Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys
609 Hamilton St.
Allentown, PA 18101
(610) 857-7424
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