Allentown Workers’ Comp Lawyer for Specific Loss Injuries
Under Pennsylvania’s workers’ compensation law, most employees are eligible to receive benefits for work related injuries or illnesses that occur on the job site, and sometimes off-site. Throughout the Lehigh Valley, many different types of injuries are covered by the workers’ comp laws, including when a specific part of the body is hurt. Injuries that cause loss of use or amputation of a body part, such as a finger, hand, arm, toe, or foot, are called a “specific loss.” When you suffer a specific loss on the job, an Allentown workers’ comp attorney can help you receive the compensation you deserve.
If you need help understanding whether you qualify to file a claim for workers comp and specific loss, call an Allentown workers’ comp lawyer at Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys at 844-303-7321 or contact us online to schedule a free initial consultation. We can assess your claim and file it for you. If you previously filed a claim for specific loss, and your claim was denied, an experienced workers’ comp lawyer can appeal your claim to ensure you receive the compensation due to you.
Workers’ Comp & Specific Loss Benefits Cover Loss of Use and Amputation
The Pennsylvania workers comp and specific loss laws cover loss of use or amputation of the following body parts:
- Hand, forearm, arm
- Foot, lower leg, leg
- Eye and loss of vision
- Loss of hearing
- Fingers and thumb, whole or part of
- Toes, whole or part of
- Serious and permanent disfigurement of head, neck, or face
Compensation for these specific losses is about 66% of the workers’ weekly salary at the time of the accident that caused the injury or loss. Benefits are paid for a number of weeks, depending upon the injury and loss. The minimum number of weeks is sixteen, for the loss of a toe. The maximum number of weeks of paid benefits is 410 weeks for loss of an arm or leg.
In Pennsylvania, nearly 150,000 workers were injured in 2020 as a result of work-related accidents. Over 34% of those injuries were to the upper extremities – shoulder, arm, hands, and fingers. About 20% of injuries were to the lower extremities – leg, foot, and toes. Most injuries occur in the construction and transportation industries.
To determine if you are eligible to collect workers’ comp benefits for specific loss when you were injured as the result of an accident on the job, contact the experienced Allentown workers’ comp lawyer at Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys. We can advise you of your rights and how to proceed in order to obtain the compensation you deserve.
Compensation for a Specific Loss Suffered at Work
If you lose the use of a specific part of your body, such as a finger, arm, or hand, because of an injury you suffered at work, a workers’ compensation policy can provide benefits to you as required by the Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Act. In order to qualify, you must have at least a 50% loss of use for that specific body part. The law also covers you if a body part had to be amputated as a result of the injury. Throughout Lehigh County, workers are entitled to benefits of about 66% of their weekly salary for a certain number of weeks which varies based on which body part was injured or amputated.
What to Do After a Workplace Injury in Allentown
After a work-related accident in Allentown and throughout the Lehigh Valley, a report must be filled out and submitted to the employer shortly afterward, within three days if possible. If the report is not filed within 120 days of the incident that caused the injury, then you will not be eligible to receive benefits for your loss. Once you’ve submitted the incident report, insurance adjusters are likely to contact you to find out more. It is important to speak with a skilled workers’ comp attorney serving the Lehigh, Allentown, and surrounding areas before talking to the insurance company to ensure you receive the compensation you deserve. An experienced workers’ comp attorney in Lehigh County can negotiate with the insurance adjuster on your behalf to protect your interests.
If you need an experienced workers’ compensation attorney in the Lehigh Valley, contact Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys today. Call 844-303-7321 to speak to a skilled workers’ compensation lawyer for free.
Workers’ Comp & Specific Loss Denials
The Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Act is designed to provide benefits to employees who suffer injuries on the job. Regrettably, your employer or its workers’ compensation insurance company may wrongly deny your claim, stating that:
- the injury isn’t covered by the employer’s workers’ comp insurance coverage,
- the injury causing the loss or loss of use happened outside of work, or
- the worker was using alcohol or drugs while at work.
In addition to these kinds of unfair reasons for denying your claim, your employer may have valid reasons for denying your claim, such as:
- the incident report contains inaccurate information, or
- the report was filed more than 120 days after the accident.
What can you do if your workers’ comp and specific loss claim was denied? You can appeal. Unfortunately, the appeals process can be frustrating and complicated, which is not what you want to deal with while recovering from your injury. An Allentown workers’ compensation attorney who knows Pennsylvania work comp law will handle the appeal process on your behalf so you can focus on feeling better.
Do you need to appeal a workers comp and specific loss denial in Lehigh County? Discuss your options with a qualified Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys workers’ comp lawyer today. Call 844-303-7321 or contact us here to schedule a FREE initial consultation and speak to an experienced Allentown workers’ comp attorney.
Frequently Asked Questions for Specific Loss
Q: What is Pennsylvania’s Workers’ Compensation System?
A: The Pennsylvania workers’ compensation structure is designed to protect both employees and employers. Through the system, employees who lose the use of a specific body part as a result of a work-related injury or illness receive compensation for the loss. Employers pay to cover their workers. In exchange, employers are protected from lawsuits by their employees. For most employers, workers’ comp coverage is required. If employers do not cover their workers, they may be sued by their employees and could even be criminally prosecuted.
Q: What Kinds of Injuries Are Suffered at Work Each Year in Pennsylvania?
A: According to the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation of the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry, over 147,000 workers in Pennsylvania were injured at work in 2020, with about 6,000 workers in the Lehigh Valley suffering work-related injuries on the job. The most work injuries occurred in the construction industry, with the second highest number in the trade, transportation, and utilities industry followed by the education and health services industry.
For injuries that are covered by workers comp and specific loss, nearly 35% of injuries suffered by workers in Pennsylvania were to the upper extremities – shoulders, arms, hands, and fingers. About 20% of workplace injuries happened to the lower extremities – legs, ankles, feet, and toes. Over 10% of injuries were to the head, neck, and face.
Q: Which Injuries Are Covered by Workers comp and specific loss?
A: When a worker suffers an injury on the job site or during work off the job site that causes loss of use or amputation of a specific part of the body, workers’ comp specific loss benefits provide compensation to the employee for that loss. The loss of use must be at least 50% and the injury must be to the following parts of the body:
- upper extremities: shoulder, arm, forearm, hand, or finger/thumb
- lower extremities: leg, lower leg, foot, or toes
- head, neck, or face
- eyes
- hearing
Q: How do I know if I am covered by Workers comp and specific loss?
A: The Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Act requires most Pennsylvania employers to protect their employees with workers’ comp insurance, no matter the size of their business. While most businesses are required to provide workers’ comp coverage to their employees, not all employers are required to provide the coverage. Some situations where a worker might not be covered by Pennsylvania’s workers’ comp laws include:
- independent contractors who are not employees,
- volunteer workers,
- agricultural workers who work less than 30 days a year for one employer,
- farm workers who earn less than $1,200 annually from one job,
- employees covered by other workers’ comp laws, such as railroad and federal workers’ comp laws,
- workers who provide domestic services such as house cleaning and lawn care.
Eligible employees are covered by Pennsylvania’s workers’ comp system for the entire time they work, beginning on the first day of the job, and are covered whether they work full-time, part-time, or seasonally.
Because workers’ comp policies ensure employees receive money for on-the-job accidents, all work injury claims go through a process in the workers’ compensation system and are decided by an administrative judge.
Q: When must I report my injury or lose and file a claim?
A: Under Pennsylvania law, a worker’s injury must be reported to the employer within 120 days of the injury and the claim must be filed with the workers’ compensation bureau within 3 years of the date of the injury. These time limits make it very important for you to speak with an experienced Allentown workers’ compensation lawyer as soon as possible. If you do not report your injury or file your claim in time, you will not be able to receive compensation for your injuries or loss and your claim will be denied.
Q: What needs to be proved in a workers’ comp and specific loss benefits claim?
A: You will need to prove that you are an eligible employee, that your loss of use of your body part is at least 50%, and that your injury occurred on the job site or off-site while working. You may also need to prove that you were not under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the accident. Proving each of these can be challenging if your employer or their workers’ comp insurance company tries to show that some of this is not true. An experienced Allentown workers’ compensation lawyer can help you prove you are entitled to receive compensation.
Q: Why should I hire Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys?
A: At Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys, you get a team of lawyers, not just one lawyer. We are a law firm dedicated to helping you receive the compensation you deserve. Our attorneys work together as a team to give you the insight, experience, and combined efforts of our entire law firm. Our attorneys are highly skilled in workers comp and specific loss benefits and are known throughout the Lehigh Valley as hard-working Allentown attorneys who protect your rights and ensure you receive the compensation you deserve. Our mission is to help employees who have suffered specific loss from workplace accidents. We don’t charge you a fee unless we recover money for you for your injury and loss. Contact us today for a FREE case evaluation.
Hire an Allentown Workers’ Compensation Attorney
In Lehigh County, the workers’ comp and specific loss claim process is complex. It can be a difficult and frustrating process for employees unfamiliar with filing workers’ compensation claims, especially when you really need to focus on getting well. A simple mistake could result in your entire work comp claim being denied. Plus, even if you are already receiving your benefits, the insurance company may try to stop your payments earlier than they are allowed to stop paying you.
You need a highly qualified lawyer to help you obtain and keep the compensation you deserve for as long as legally possible. Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys experienced workers’ comp lawyer are dedicated and committed to obtaining a favorable outcome for you. The skilled attorneys of Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys accept all kinds of worker’s comp cases, large and small, and have obtained many top settlements and verdicts for workers.
Every workers’ comp lawyer in our firm is professional, aggressive, and experienced at helping workers get their due after a work-related injury and specific loss. We work hard to protect your interests and ensure you are satisfied with your case’s outcome.
Call Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys toll-free at 844-303-7321 today to speak to a qualified personal injury lawyer. Or contact us using our online form. We work on a contingency fee basis, which means you only pay us for our services if and when we obtain money for your injuries.
