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Don’t delay reporting work injuries or seeking treatment

On Behalf of | Sep 7, 2018 | Firm News |

No matter what job they are doing, workers face a host of hazards when they are performing their job duties. Employers ideally should take steps to identify hazardous conditions and determine how to minimize them. When employers fail to minimize the hazards, workers can suffer. But, unfortunately, employees can be injured even when employers do everything they can to minimize potential risks.

Injured workers might feel like they don’t want to rock the boat. They may feel uneasy about filing a workers’ compensation claim or seeking medical care after a workplace injury. While it is understandable that they would have these thoughts, they must realize that workers’ compensation benefits are designed to help them heal and get back to work as soon as possible.

Workplace injuries can be very serious, and ultimately life-altering. Even when injuries seem minor, a certain percentage will become more serious over time if they are not properly addressed. Therefore, at a minimum even minor injuries should be promptly reported, and it is a good idea to always have a medical evaluation if you have an accident at work.

Injuries which at first seem minor but turn out to be something more serious are some of the hardest types of cases. If the injury is not properly and promptly reported or the injured worker does not seek immediate medical attention, you can bet that most insurance companies will deny the claim. Now the employee is injured and can’t work. He may be facing mounting medical bills in addition to a loss of income. This creates a financial crisis. The delay in reporting the injury and seeking medical attention will only make obtaining workers’ compensation benefits more difficult.

Workers’ compensation benefits pay for the medical care necessary to treat the injury, which takes away that mounting bill. If the injured worker is unable to return to work because of the injury, wage loss benefits should also be available. While workers’ compensation wage loss benefits in Pennsylvania are less than preinjury gross wages, the workers’ comp benefits are not taxable, and should be similar to preinjury net wages after taxes.

If you or a loved one is missing out on benefits which should have been paid after a work injury, call our office today to schedule an appointment to meet with one of our certified specialist workers’ compensation attorneys. We can help you with your claim every step of the way.

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