How Much Does an Allentown PA Workers' Compensation Attorney Cost?
Filing a workers' compensation claim can be intimidating. There is a lot of paperwork and rules to follow. While trying to cope with a work injury or work related illness, you are also dealing with questions swirling in your head: what if your request is denied? How will you make ends meet while you're out of work?
If you're also asking yourself “How much does an Allentown PA Workers' Compensation Attorney Cost?” there's good news. The lawyers at Munley law do work on a contingency basis. That means you will not pay them unless a verdict or settlement is reached in your favor.
When you hire a Munley law workers' compensation attorney, you will receive a team of expert lawyers who will guide you through the claims process and use creative legal tactics to secure the financial compensation you deserve. If your claim is denied, the Munley workers' compensation lawyers will help you file a petition for an appeal.
Contact us today for a free consultation with an experienced workers' compensation attorney to discuss how Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys can help you move forward with your claim as soon as possible.
What is Workers' Compensation?
Workers' compensation is a form of insurance that pays workers who are injured on the job. According to the Pennsylvania Workmen's (Workers') Compensation Act of 1915, employers must obtain this coverage, much like an insurance policy, when they open their business. The 1915 statute defines the benefits that should be paid to injured employees, as well as how to obtain the benefits, and the conditions under which the injured workers can collect the benefits.
The act was designed to protect both the employer and the employee. Employees who suffer workplace injuries are covered by their employers' workers' compensation policy. They are compensated for medical treatment and lost wages associated with those injuries. In return, the employee waives all rights to sue their employer because of the injury.
The Most Common Types of Workplace Injuries in Allentown, PA
There are several ways an employee can be injured on the job. Some injuries are more severe than others, which is why a workers' compensation lawyer is almost always necessary. With a more serious injury, medical bills will increase as well as the potential time off the employee will need to recover. An Allentown workers compensation attorney will seek compensation so you don't have to deal with the financial stress of unexpected medical expenses and lost wages on top of trying to recover.
Over 172,000 workers' compensation claims were filed in Pennsylvania in 2019. The leading cause of the claims were sprains and strains, accounting for 36.8% of the total cases reported. Bruising and contusions were the second leading cause of on the job injuries, followed by undisclosed illnesses and injuries. Most of these injuries happened because of overexertion by the employee.
Other injuries employees can experience on the job are:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Concussions
- Head/neck injuries
- Spine injuries
- Hearing loss
- Vision loss
- Burns and electrical injuries
- Broken bones/fractures
- Loss of limbs/amputations
- Back injuries
- Knee/shoulder/elbow injuries
- Illnesses due to exposure of toxic chemicals
- Wrongful death
Get Help with Your PA Workers' Comp Claim
If you suffered a work injury on the job, an experienced workers' compensation lawyer can offer legal advice, guide you through the claims process, and fight for your rights in the appeals process. While you focus on your recovery, your Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys workers' compensation lawyer will:
- Gather evidence regarding your workers' comp claim, including all evidence that your injury or illness was directly caused by your work.
- Collect all medical documentation needed to prove employer responsibility.
- Help you navigate the workers' compensation paperwork and ensure you submit documents in a correct and timely manner.
- Tell you which doctors you need to see regarding your injury and when you should see them.
- Move onto the appeals process with you if your initial claim is denied.
- Prep you for questions from the workers' compensation judge.
- Help you understand how much damages you should collect and evaluate any settlement offered to you.
- Be on call to answer any questions or concerns you have with the workers compensation process.
What Kinds of Workers' Compensation Benefits Can I Receive?
There is no exact amount of compensation an employee can collect from workers' compensation. The amount you are entitled to receive depends on the severity of your injury, how long you are out of work, and how much you earn at your place of employment.
If your workplace injury leaves you permanently disabled and no longer able to work, you are entitled to receive weekly benefits. The workers' compensation benefits will be about two-thirds of your weekly pay with a maximum amount of $1,130 per week. The maximum amount you can receive per week changes each year in Pennsylvania. Your Allentown workers' compensation lawyer will refer to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor compensation rate schedules to determine the maximum amount of compensation you should be awarded per week following your workplace injury.
Once you receive the worker's compensation benefits, they will last up to two years. After the two year period is over, your status will be reviewed. If it is determined that you are no longer fully disabled, your new status will become “partial disability” and will change the pay structure of your workers' compensation benefits.
Partial disability compensation may be two-thirds the difference between your present earnings and what you earned prior to your workplace injury. The partial disability payments last for 500 weeks or as long as you are working at a lower wage.
Workers' Compensation: Specific Loss Injuries
Specific loss benefits are paid out to the injured employee for injuries like amputation, loss of limbs, loss of vision, loss of hearing, or impaired use of a body part. Your injury does not need to leave you permanently disabled in order to receive these workers' compensation benefits, but you must prove that the injury occurred because of your job.
Your Allentown workers compensation attorney will collect all the necessary evidence and information to prove specific loss happened in the course of your job duties and work to secure fair compensation for your work related injuries.
Workers' Compensation: Death Benefits
If a workplace injury causes the death of your loved one, surviving dependents may be entitled to workers' compensation benefits. The injury did not need to cause immediate death of your loved one in order for surviving depends to collect benefits. Death could have happened within 300 weeks of your loved one sustaining the injury. Not only will the family collect weekly compensation, but workers' compensation will also pay a “reasonable cost of burial,” which is up to $3,000.
Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys workers' compensation attorneys can guide grieving family members through the claims process and ensure they can collect compensation on behalf of their loved ones. The workers' compensation lawyers will make sure the eligible and proper beneficiaries receive compensation. The eligible beneficiaries for the death of an injured worker are: a spouse, minor children, a dependent adult child or parent.
While a family copes with the loss of their loved one, the workers' compensation lawyers at Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys will make sure all the workers' compensation paperwork is processed correctly and efficiently. Following the death of a loved one, the family has three years to submit a workers' compensation claim for death benefits. While that seems like a long time, medical costs related to the workplace injury will begin to pile up quickly. A family in the throes of grief and unexpected loss should not also have to deal with financial distress. Munley workers' compensation lawyers can help the family through the most difficult time in their lives and provide even the smallest amount of relief by helping them receive weekly benefits.
Call one of Allentown Workers' Compensation Attorneys at Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys for a free consultation
Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys is a personal injury law firm that was founded in 1959 by Robert Munley. Today, the Munley siblings carry out the legacy of their father and fight for justice for each of their clients. The Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys personal injury lawyers are nationally recognized for their simple commitments to their clients:
- Clients will never pay a single cent for services unless their lawyers successfully obtain financial compensation for your workplace injuries.
- The client's best interest is always in mind and their lawyer will always keep them informed about settlement offers made on the case.
- When you hire Munley workers' compensation lawyers, your case will be handled by a professional, experienced, and highly skilled attorney.
- Munley workers' compensation lawyers will work harder than any other firm in Pennsylvania.
- The Munley workers' compensation lawyers will work together on your case so you have the benefit of having the experience and expertise of an entire team.
Workers' compensation, especially the more complex cases, can be a very long process. Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys has the financial backing to see your case through until the very end. You, as their client, will need to provide medical documentation, and an account of what happened at your place of work. The rest can be left up to the workers' compensation lawyers at Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys. They have your best interest in mind and will work hard to secure fair compensation for your work related injuries.
