Occupational Illness & Injury in Pennsylvania

In Pennsylvania, about 122,000 workers suffered occupational illnesses or injuries in 2019. Each year, more than 100,000 Pennsylvania employees experience an occupational injury on the job or in accidents related to their work. Unfortunately, 71 workers were killed on the job in Pennsylvania.

All of these workers are covered by the Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Act. Under this workers’ comp law, all work injuries and illnesses resulting in death, permanent impairment, or loss of time beyond a day or shift are covered. This means that any employee who suffers a work-related illness or injury may be eligible to receive compensation for his losses, including money to pay for lost wages, medical expenses, or disability. In addition, family members of workers who suffer a fatal injury and die may receive compensation to help them get back on their feet after the death of their loved ones. 

If you or a loved one suffered a workplace injury, […]

Light Duty and Workers’ Compensation

A workers’ comp lawyer at Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys explains “light duty” assignment after a work injury

If you get injured at work, your employer may offer you “light duty” as an alternative to being out of work completely. But this can present a host of questions: What is considered light duty? Will accepting an offer of light duty work prevent me from collecting workers’ compensation? Will I be paid the same salary for light duty work?

Often, people have many valid questions concerning their workers’ compensation claim and precisely what it means if a doctor clears them for light duty. If you have questions about how light-duty work will affect your workers’ comp claim in Pennsylvania, you may want to consult with an experienced workers’ comp lawyer.

What is Light Duty Work?

Typically, when an employee is hurt in a work-related accident, […]

Is workers’ comp taxable?

Ask a Workers’ Compensation Lawyer: Are Workers’ Comp Payments Taxable in Pennsylvania?

If you are receiving workers’ comp benefits, or if benefits are pending for you or a family member, you may be wondering, “Is workers’ comp taxable?” You are wise to be concerned about the taxable status of workers’ compensation payments that replace earned income while you are unable to work due to job-related illness or injury.

Is income taxable no matter what the source? What procedures must be followed when you file your tax return while receiving workers’ comp? Here, we will address these basic concerns.

If you have further questions, a Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys Pennsylvania workers’ comp lawyer can address your queries concerning the taxable status of unemployment benefits.

Our skilled, knowledgeable attorneys can also assist you if you are experiencing difficulty in obtaining workers’ […]

What is malingering?

What is “malingering” and how can it affect your workers’ comp case?

Malingering comes up often in the context of workers’ compensation. Malingering is a term used to describe the action of exaggerating or falsifying one’s illness or injury to gain some benefit (such as workers’ comp payments).

Workers’ compensation program administrators and officials of the employing company often accuse employees who receive workers’ comp payments of “malingering” as a way to extend benefits. These accusations, which happen on a fairly regular basis, are unfair to dedicated employees who continue to suffer effects from injuries or illness contracted on the job. Such workers are rightfully owed benefits.

A Medical Definition of Malingering:

WebMD defines malingering as:

“‌. . . pretending to have an illness in order to get a benefit. The feigned illness can be mental or physical. […]

What is the Coming and Going Rule in Workers’ Comp?

Workers’ Comp Coming and Going Rule: How it Affects Your Claim

Workers’ compensation is insurance that provides financial aid to employees to cover the medical expenses and lost wages due to work-related illnesses, diseases, and injuries. The Pennsylvania Workmen’s (Workers’) Compensation Act was enacted in 1915 and is mandatory for most employers across the state. The insurance is meant to benefit both the employee and the employer, protecting the employee in cases of illness and injury on the job, and the employer from being sued for such cases. Compensation is roughly 66% of the employee’s average weekly wage.

There is an exception, however, to workers’ comp. It’s called the Going and Coming Rule. 

What is the Going and Coming Rule?

According to DMV.ORG, the Going and Coming Rule is when an employee gets into an accident and/or is injured commuting either to or from work. […]