Need Immediate help? Call 717-397-1010
After Hours Call / Text 717-471-2168
Alternative Dispute Resolution is a fancy term for mediation. It offers an option outside of litigation when two parties are having a dispute about how to resolve an issue. When Alternative Dispute Resolution is used to settle a legal disagreement, the two parties involved take their case to a mediator who has experience in the issue at hand, who will listen to both sides, then try to ask as a go-between to arrive at a mutually agreeable way to settle the matter. Alternative Dispute Resolution has become increasingly popular in a number of arenas for several reasons: it is generally…
Continue reading Should I Be Suspicious of Alternative Dispute Resolution Proposed by My Employer?People who work in the healthcare industry often do so because they are passionate about helping others. Whether they are doctors and nurses who have invested years in getting advanced education or aides who are providing much-needed care for elderly and infirm residents of long-term care facilities, these hardworking professionals work long hours providing much needed services that are often underappreciated. Few people give thought to the many hazards faced by healthcare workers. From the same type of slip and fall accidents that can happen to employees in all occupational settings to exposure to contagious diseases, healthcare workers often risk…
Continue reading What are the Most Common Injuries Healthcare Workers Contend With?If you are an employee working in the state of Pennsylvania and you have suffered an on-the-job injury or illness, then you may be entitled to benefits from Workers’ Compensation. Workers’ Compensation is a type of no-fault insurance that provides those who have been hurt or sickened on the job with compensation for medical expenses as well as wage loss benefits when applicable. It also provides certain benefits to the survivors of workers who have been killed on the job. Workers’ compensation is a no-fault insurance – that means that you have no requirement to prove that your employer or…
Continue reading What are the Types of Disability Available to Workers in Pennsylvania?Workers’ compensation is a form of no-fault insurance that employers are required to carry for their employees. It provides a safety net for those who are injured on the job, giving them the promise of reimbursement of medical expenses and the replacement of lost wages in exchange for the loss of ability to file a personal injury or negligence lawsuit against their employer. In the state of Pennsylvania, most employers are required to carry this insurance, but there are some notable exceptions, and this includes many agricultural employers. The state does not exempt all agricultural employees from access to workers’…
Continue reading How the Threat of Employer Retaliation Discourages Agricultural Workers from Filing Workers’ Compensation Claims in PennsylvaniaThe cost of healthcare is one of the biggest issues that Americans face today. Treatment of injuries and illnesses is far more expensive than it ever has been, and many people are forced into severe financial hardship as a result of trying to balance their previously-existing bills and trying to pay for emergent care. When a person is injured on the job and their injuries require professional treatment, there is good reason for them to be concerned about who is going to pay for the medical bills, especially if their injury or illness keeps them from being able to report…
Continue reading Are Medical Expenses Covered in my Workers’ Compensation Claim?Heart attacks have long been associated with physical exertion, especially in a person who is not physically fit. They have also been connected to fear, anger and stress. As a result, the idea of a person having a heart attack on the job is not at all surprising. Whether an employee works in a labor intensive job, a job that subjects them to extreme heat conditions, or simply a career that causes a lot of anxiety and stress, the only people who generally argue that a job can’t cause stress would be a company trying to deny a workers’ compensation…
Continue reading Early Warning Signs of a Heart Attack While WorkingIf you were asked what profession reports the most work-related back and musculoskeletal injuries, what would your guess be? Construction worker? Warehouse worker? You would probably be surprised to hear that according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nursing assistants sustain more of these life-changing injuries than any other group of workers. They are followed by warehouse workers, truckers, stock clerks and registered nurses. The statistics are stunning in the sheer numbers: as a group, orderlies and nursing assistants each suffer these injuries at a rate three times higher than construction workers. Much of this has to do with the…
Continue reading Back Injuries for Health Care Workers Are On the Rise as Obesity Epidemic Shows No Signs of AbatingIt would be nice if every employee in the state of Pennsylvania had the sense of security provided by having their employer provide them with workers’ compensation coverage. This no-fault form of insurance means that when a workplace injury or illness occurs, the employee can get compensation for their medical expenses and care, their lost wages, and even compensation for specific injuries or total disability. Workers’ compensation even provides benefits to survivors of employees who are killed on the job. Unfortunately, workers’ compensation is not required of every Pennsylvania employer. As experienced workers’ injuries attorneys, the law firm of Vanasse…
Continue reading Is My Employer Required to Have Workers’ Compensation Insurance?If you own or lease a car, then you probably know all too well how expensive automobile insurance rates have gotten. It seems as if every time your policy renews the price jumps up a bit, and those incremental increases add up over time. If you’ve gone looking for a better rate and complained to an insurance sales rep, you’ve probably been told that the reason that rates are so high is that the insurance companies end up having to pay such large damages on behalf of their clients who are charged with negligence in personal injury lawsuits. This is…
Continue reading How has Tort Reform Affected Auto Insurance Rates?When a person is injured in an accident, in most cases their injuries are covered by their insurance company. In instances where the accident is determined to have been the legal responsibility of another person, then that other person’s insurance company generally pays the expenses. In all cases, as consumers, we rely upon the insurance companies from whom we buy our policies to honor their contracts and to act in good faith, and when they fail to do so they can be accused of acting in bad faith, and a tort action can be pursued against them. When it comes…
Continue reading Is your Insurance Company Negotiating in Bad Faith?