I’ve Won My Pennsylvania Workers’ Comp Case. What Happens Now?

If you have been approved for workers’ compensation benefits in Pennsylvania, congratulations! It can be a long road! Unfortunately, there are still decisions to be made, and you will need to continue to comply with certain rules to continue receiving your benefits. Our Lancaster work injury lawyer explains more below. 

You Will Begin To Receive Benefits

Workers’ compensation is designed to assist an injured worker with their medical costs and other costs of living while they recover from their work-related injury. Winning your case and receiving your benefits is a time of relief and allows you to concentrate on your healing. Having a Lancaster work injury lawyer from Vanasse Law, LLC, can help ensure that you receive the maximum amount of benefits available to you. 

Medical Bills & Costs

Your medical bills and associated costs for necessary medical treatment should be covered by your workers’ comp benefits. You should not be required to pay for any reasonable and necessary medical treatment that you receive. 

Lost Wages

When your injury prevents you from being able to work or from being able to earn as much as you did prior to the injury, you should receive compensation to make up for that monetary loss. Typically, this amount is ⅔ of your previous average weekly wage. Speak with a Lancaster work injury lawyer at Vanasse Law, LLC, to learn about how you can recover wages for the time you are unable to work as well as any future earnings.

Specific Loss Benefits

Specific loss benefits are available when your work-related injury has caused you to lose the use of certain body parts, including your legs and eyes. Amputations and disfigurement can also result in specific loss benefits. 

Be Aware of Why Benefits Can Be Terminated

Being awarded workers’ compensation benefits is not something that is unable to be changed (an exception could be when a lump sum settlement is received). There are circumstances under which periodic workers’ comp payments can be terminated, including those listed below:

• Failure to comply with doctor’s orders for treatment, as well as mandated therapies
• Being convicted of certain types of crimes, typically those that result in incarceration
• Death, although the family of the deceased worker may be able to receive survivor benefits

Another matter to bear in mind is that insurance companies may still take steps to find evidence that you are not injured or you or not as injured as you were found to be. They will check your social media accounts and may even hire a private investigator to follow up and ensure you are not acting in a way that shows you are not disabled.

Your Lancaster work injury lawyer should be able to address any concerns you may have regarding your workers’ compensation benefits and the circumstances under which they may be terminated. 

Understand That You May Still Be Able (And Expected) To Work

Some injured workers mistakenly believe that receiving workers comp benefits means that they will no longer have to work. While this may be true in some cases, it is not in others. If you received an injury that renders you unable to perform your previous duties but does not prevent you from performing a different job, you will likely be expected to perform the new job. If you earn the same, or more, than you did at your previous position, your benefits may be terminated. 

A Lancaster work injury lawyer can help you understand whether or not you will be expected to work and if you do, how it can impact the benefits you receive.

You May Still Need To Submit Additional Documentation

Being awarded workers’ compensation benefits does not end your obligation to follow the instructions of the insurance company to provide them with certain information. For example, after a certain amount of time receiving benefits, you must be re-examined by a physician to perform an impairment rating evaluation. Failure to do so can result in the termination of benefits.

Clarify The Terms of Your Settlement

Your Lancaster work injury lawyer is your lifeline to understanding your benefits and any obligations you may be under to receive them. If you have questions, ask for clarification. At Vanasse Law, LLC, our Lancaster work injury lawyer goes the extra mile to ensure our clients understand what they are being awarded and what, if anything, they need to do to comply with their agreement. 

Lump Sum Settlements

Not all workers’ compensation awards are paid on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. In some situations, it is beneficial to receive the compensation in a lump sum rather than have it paid over time. Whether or not you should receive a lump sum payment is a matter best addressed with your Lancaster work injury lawyer. They will go over your situation and consider certain matters, such as:

• Whether or not it is likely you will need additional treatments in the future for your medical condition
• Whether or not you are receiving any other types of benefits or have private insurance coverage
• Exactly what is and is not included in the lump sum settlement being offered

Speak With A Lancaster Work Injury Lawyer At Vanasse Law, LLC

Fighting for the workers’ compensation benefits you are owed can be time-consuming and stressful. Many injured people require the assistance of a Lancaster work injury lawyer before they are approved for benefits. If you are struggling to receive the approval you need and deserve, contact Vanasse Law, LLC to learn more about how we can help. We can also speak with you regarding what you can expect once benefits have been awarded. Contact our attorney by calling 717-397-1010 or reach out via our contact page.