If you have suffered a work-related injury as a healthcare industry worker, a Wilkes-Barre workers’ compensation lawyer can help you to fight for what you are legally owed. With nearly 70 years of experience in handling workers’ compensation cases, our attorneys have won millions in settlements for our clients.
We have earned some of the legal industry’s top awards for our work, with all our partners featured in the National Trial Lawyers Association’s Top 100 Trial Lawyers in Pennsylvania list. All five partners have AV Preeminent Ratings from Martindale-Hubbell and have been named to the Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers list, and all our lawyers have been honored by Best Lawyers, with Marion Munley featured as Lawyer of the Year for Personal Injury Litigation and J. Christopher Munley named Lawyer of the Year for Workers’ Compensation. Caroline Munley was also named a certified workers’ compensation specialist by the Pennsylvania Bar Association, specializing in handling complex workers’ comp claims.
You work hard to care for other people when they are hurt or sick; we’ll stand by your side to make sure you get the benefits you deserve. Contact us for a free consultation today.
What Should I Know About Healthcare Workers and On-the-Job Injuries?
If you are a healthcare worker at one of Wilkes-Barre’s hospitals, long-term care centers, or any type of medical facility, it is important to be informed and prepared for the possibility of injury. Knowing how to respond properly immediately after an accident will help ensure you receive fair reimbursement for all costs related to the incident. The Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation program covers healthcare workers just as it does in the industrial and service sectors.
The following quote may come as a surprise to some. But it shouldn’t when you stop and think about it.
“Healthcare and social assistance employees continue to report among the highest rates of injury and illness among all private industries.”
– Excerpt from Zurich’s Benchmark Study of Healthcare Workers’ Compensation Claims.
Medical personnel are often tired and stressed from dealing with the physical and mental challenges of caring for patients and their family members, people facing chronic or acute life-threatening situations. This creates a weakened state of awareness, which increases the risk of injury.
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Call Us At 844-686-5397 What Are The Most Common Injuries Suffered by Healthcare Workers?
We think of healthcare jobs as being different from those of many other professions. But injuries similar to the ones affecting other types of workplaces often afflict healthcare workers:
- Sprains, strains, broken bones, and slipped discs are common injuries suffered by healthcare professionals, just as in manufacturing and logistics enterprises.
- Slip and fall injuries are common, too, just as in other types of businesses.
Injuries more specific to the medical community include:
- Blood-borne infectious diseases
- Infections
- Needle sticks
The Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Bureau received 165,985 reports of work-related injuries and illnesses in 2024. 45,685 of these injuries took place in the education and healthcare sectors alone, accounting for 27.5% of all injuries reported that year.
Within this super-sector, Philadelphia County reported the most injured workers in 2024, with a median age of 42.7 years. The most common types of injuries were sprains and strains, which accounted for 34% of the total injuries reported.
The upper extremities (shoulders, arms, wrists, fingers, and hands) were most frequently injured, with a total of 16,067 such injuries reported in the state. The most prevalent cause of these injuries was struck-by incidents, which caused 13,316 injuries among workers in the healthcare and education sectors. Unfortunately, these injuries led to 7 work-related fatalities in 2024.
Routine Tasks That Trigger Healthcare Worker Injuries:
- Jobs requiring repetitive stress cause some common injuries suffered by healthcare workers. Musculoskeletal injuries can afflict those whose jobs include similar tasks performed multiple times daily.
- Lifting more than a reasonable amount of weight, as when transferring patients, can seriously injure bones and muscles. Even one incident that causes undue strain can result in an injury with permanent effects. Nursing assistants and orderlies who routinely lift and transfer patients most frequently suffer these injuries. But they also threaten physical therapists, and even doctors and nurses. Anyone who works with patients may be faced with the need to assist them physically, on occasion. Overexertion was the leading cause of workplace injuries in PA in 2024, causing 24.5% of all injuries reported.
- Administering injections and IVs – Injury may occur during or following routine injections, IV installations, and blood draws. Injury becomes a greater risk when doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers treat combative patients. Dropping, misplacing, or improperly disposing of needles can also result in unexpected injury.
- Treating unpredictable patients or dealing with difficult family or friends of patients. More frequently than most people expect, violence can be a hazard in the healthcare workplace. Not only a patient, but his or her friends or family members can become combative when under stress or experiencing grief.
- Violent criminals must be treated, as well as people whose behavior is erratic due to the ingestion of drugs. Those with mental disorders are also often a challenge to treat without provoking an aggressive response. At times, medical facilities even face robberies, often committed by drug users. Such individuals may become violent.
What Are The Other Hazards in Healthcare Work Environments in Wilkes-Barre?
Clean floors help keep germs from growing and multiplying. But wet floors can trigger falls.
If proper warnings are not posted until floors have dried, serious injury can result.
If the proper cleaning solutions are not used in the proper manner, slippery conditions can remain, even after the floor has dried.
Healthcare workers in Pennsylvania can also face risks of chemical burns from strong cleaning agents, sterilizing solutions, and laboratory reagents, often through accidental spills or errors in handling these substances. Heat burns may also result from exposure to hot surfaces, steam sterilizing and autoclaving processes, and scalding liquids delivered in patient care settings.
Workers who are exposed to corrosive cleaning and sterilizing aerosols and substances such as latex dust could also develop chronic respiratory diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma. Moreover, while it can be difficult to prove, some healthcare professionals may also develop mental conditions such as depression or post-traumatic stress disorder if they have undergone a traumatic workplace event or consistently high levels of stress.
Which Types of Healthcare Workers are Eligible for Workers’ Compensation?
- Nurses.
- Doctors.
- Home Health Aides.
- Long-term care facility workers.
- Physician assistants.
- Physical therapists.
- Occupational therapists.
- Any other type of professional employed in a healthcare facility.
Help for Injured Healthcare Workers in Luzerne County
Healthcare is a satisfying yet demanding profession. Especially in today’s times. Workers’ compensation will cover most types of injuries that legitimately occur in a healthcare facility, while the worker who fell victim was performing an approved task, during working hours.
To be certain you receive benefits if you suffer an injury and that they will continue for as long as necessary, it’s wise to contact a Wilkes-Barre workers’ compensation lawyer.
A third-party claim may also be filed if someone besides your employer was negligent and thus, at least in part, responsible for your suffering and pain. One example would be if a piece of equipment malfunctioned and caused an injury.
Making certain benefits are approved in the first place is essential, as is keeping up to date on the claim, to make certain every covered procedure is paid. That is the role of the workers’ comp attorney.
When you are injured and begin to receive benefits, that may not be the end of the experience. In some instances, benefits cease too soon, causing further injury to a victim. Such problems must be addressed by a qualified member of a workers’ compensation law firm.
“Honoring those who came before us, Munley Law proudly continues our family tradition of innovation, caring, and integrity.”
Caroline Munley
When Accidents Happen at Healthcare Facilities in Wilkes-Barre
Accidents will happen, and when they do, workers’ compensation should cover lost wages and medical bills. Illness, injury, or aggravation of an existing condition are all qualifying symptoms for receiving benefits if they are linked to on-the-job conditions. The principle is simple, but the claims process can sometimes be much more complex.
Your claim may be denied, or your benefits may stop before you can return to work. A Wilkes-Barre workers’ compensation attorney can make certain you receive a fair hearing and that compensation continues for as long as necessary.
The following are guidelines regarding the workers’ compensation process. But your first response when an accident happens, or symptoms appear that you believe to be work-related, should be to:
- See a doctor right away.
- Document the situation that caused the symptoms, their severity, and the recommended treatment.
How Do You Know If You Are Covered by Workers’ Compensation?
Nearly every healthcare worker who is an employee of an independent professional or a medical organization in Pennsylvania is covered by workers’ compensation. If you, as a formal employee, suffer an injury that is directly related to your job, and you can prove that’s the case, you are eligible to receive benefits for lost wages and medical bills.
Those not covered by workers’ compensation include independent contractors rather than employees, and workers in some specialized fields that maintain their own systems of compensation, such as shipyard or railroad workers, or federal government employees. Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys can help you determine if you are eligible to apply for workers’ compensation benefits.
First Steps to Take if You Are Injured at Work
Whenever you are even slightly injured in your healthcare workplace, report the accident to your supervisor immediately. Complete an incident report, getting all the facts straight. A thorough description of the situation is important. Even if you don’t currently believe your injury is significant, you can’t be certain. There could be complications at a later date.
Don’t allow yourself to be pressured to settle – to sign away your workers’ compensation rights. Never sign any insurance document until you have consulted with a Wilkes-Barre workman’s compensation law firm.
Remember, your proper action, in the beginning, increases your chances of being paid, should it become necessary to file a claim.
How to File a Claim – What’s the Deadline?
You must notify your supervisor of a workplace injury within 120 days of the date of its occurrence. A case must be filed before three years have passed since the incident that caused the injury took place.
Then, under the Workers’ Compensation Act, your employer and their insurance company have 21 days after you have given them notice of the injury to agree that it’s work-related and issue an appropriate notice or to deny the claim and issue a statement indicating the decision.
Submit to a Medical Examination and be Straightforward
You will probably be required to be examined by a physician of your employer’s choosing before your claim is approved. Don’t worry. Be confident during the process. If you have a legitimate claim, you will likely receive some compensation.
That said, before an independent medical exam is scheduled by your employer, it’s best to consult with a workers’ compensation lawyer at Munley Law. Specialists like the workers’ compensation attorneys at Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys in Wilkes-Barre can prepare you with an understanding of what to expect before, during, and following the exam.
Just remember to:
- Be Honest About the Incident: Tell your story, truthfully, as it happened. No white lies. Those can get your claim denied.
- Don’t Make Exaggerations About What Happened: You may be tempted to embellish the facts. Don’t do it. The advice, “just the facts, ma’am,” applies to workers’ comp claims. And obviously, the facts should remain the same no matter how many times you tell your story.
- Don’t Overly Criticize the Healthcare Center Where the Incident Occurred: Even if you are certain the situation at your facility, which caused the injury, was due to unsafe practices, don’t be too accusing, in the beginning. There will come a time when it will be appropriate to become more assertive about the situation. But let your legal representative decide when that time arrives.
Before an independent medical exam is scheduled by your employer, it’s best to consult with a workers’ compensation lawyer. Specialists like the workers’ compensation attorneys at Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys in Wilkes-Barre can prepare you with an understanding of what to expect before, during, and following the exam.
When Will I Begin Receiving Benefits?
Benefits should begin approximately 21 days after your employer receives notice of your injury. The amount of compensation will depend upon whether you are partially or totally disabled by the condition. As of 2025, the maximum compensation rate is $1,347 per week.
What Might Cause My Claim to be Denied?
Frequent causes of denial of workers’ compensation claims for healthcare workers include:
- The employer contests the facts posed by the claim, the work-related nature, or the severity of the injury.
- The incident report contains inaccurate information.
- The claim wasn’t filed until after the 120-day window.
- The employer accuses the injured worker of using illegal substances, which impaired his actions, thus causing the injury.
To prevent denial, it’s wise to consult with an attorney specializing in workers’ compensation law before filing. If you’re not certain you have all your ducks in a row, the claim will face the likelihood of denial, even though it’s legitimate.
Don’t take too long to obtain legal representation and file a claim. Keep in mind the need to plan and be prepared, long before the 120-day time limit to file.
Why Should I Choose Munley Law?
Our skilled workers’ compensation attorneys at Munley Law have the knowledge, experience, and legal acumen to assist you with every step of your workers’ comp claim process. We have won millions of dollars in settlements for our injured clients to date, and are ready to do the same for you.
Munley Law has been recognized by Best Law Firms for our ongoing achievements in law, and all five of our partners have Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent Ratings and honors from Best Lawyers, with Marion Munley named Lawyer of the Year for Product Liability Litigation, Medical Malpractice Law, and Personal Injury Litigation; Daniel Munley named Lawyer of the Year for Product Liability Litigation; and J. Christopher Munley named Lawyer of the Year for Workers’ Compensation.
Eight of our attorneys are named Super Lawyers, including Marion Munley, who features in the Top 10 Super Lawyers in Pennsylvania, Top 100 Super Lawyers in Pennsylvania and Top 50 Women Pennsylvania Super Lawyers lists. All of our lawyers are members of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, with Caroline Munley named a certified workers’ compensation specialist by the Section on Workers’ Compensation Law. Our attorneys also belong to the American Association of Justice, where Marion Munley serves as the Vice President, the National Board of Trial Advocacy, and the National Trial Lawyers Association, and our partners are all listed in the Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers list, including Marion Munley in the Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America list.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Workers’ Comp for PA Healthcare Workers
What Are the Most Common Types of Injuries Among Healthcare Workers In Pennsylvania?
According to the 2024 Pennsylvania Workers Compensation Report, the most common injuries in the healthcare sector were sprains and strains, which accounted for 34% of all injuries reported. The upper extremities, like the hands, arms, shoulders and wrists, were most frequently injured.
What are the Leading Causes Of Workplace Injuries in the PA Healthcare Sector?
As of 2024, struck-by incidents accounted for the majority of workplace injuries in the education and healthcare sectors in Pennsylvania, with 13,316 injuries in total.
How Much Workers’ Compensation Can I Claim For My Injuries?
The amount of workers’ comp benefits you can claim will depend on the nature and severity of your workplace injuries. In 2025, the maximum compensation rate is $1,347 per week.
Which Types of Healthcare Workers Can Seek Workers’ Comp Benefits in PA?
All professionals employed at medical and healthcare facilities are eligible for workers’ compensation. These include doctors, surgeons, nurses, long-term care facility workers, physicians and their assistants, physical and occupational therapists, and home health aides, among others.
What Happens if My Claim is Denied?
If your on-the-job healthcare injury claim is submitted by your employer, but denied, it’s not necessarily the end of the world. Once denied, you will have three years from the date of your injury to file a claim with the state Bureau of Workers’ Compensation.
In such a situation, it’s essential to have the assistance of a Wilkes-Barre lawyer who is a specialist in workers’ compensation to ensure your case has the best chance of success.
And don’t worry about the cost. Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys work on a contingency basis. You don’t pay us unless you receive compensation.
Can I File a Third-Party Lawsuit in Addition to Workers’ Comp?
If defective or faulty machinery contributed to your injury, you may be able to file suit against a third party in Wilkes-Barre, in addition to your workers’ comp claim. If you believe that was the case when your injury occurred, consult a Wilkes-Barre workers’ compensation attorney at Munley Law today.
Caroline Munley
Caroline is a passionate trial lawyer and courtroom advocate, a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer since 2022. Since 2018, she’s been listed in Best Lawyers in America (Personal Injury Plaintiffs; Workers’ Compensation Claimants, Northeastern PA) and named among PA’s Top 25 Women Trial Lawyers, the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates, and the Top 25 Medical Malpractice Trial Lawyers.
Reviewed by Bernadine Munley, Esq., Personal Injury Attorney at Munley Law, on January 5, 2026.
Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys
1170 PA-315
Wilkes-Barre, PA 18702
(570) 399-0406
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