Are Workers’ Compensation Settlements Given Lump-Sum or in Installments?

When you have been injured at work and file a workers’ compensation claim, there are a few possible resolutions of your case. Your employer may agree to pay the claim without any type of litigation or appeals process, for as long as the need exists. Alternatively, your employer or their insurance company may deny your claim, and this can lead to you filing an appeal. The process of arguing for the validity of your claim and the benefits that you are entitled to can be long and involved, and can end in either a decision made by the workers’ compensation board or in a settlement offer from your employer’s insurance company.  Workers’ compensation settlements are usually paid out in a lump sum to the person who has been injured, and because lump sums are generally large amounts, it can be tempting to agree to an offer. It is important that you work with a qualified workers’ compensation attorney who can advise you about whether the offer that you have received is reasonable and fair, or whether you should continue to fight for the rights to which you are entitled. At Vanasse Law, we are experienced workers’ compensation attorneys who are dedicated to ensuring that you get the benefits that you deserve.

There are a number of different factors that can impact the amount of a settlement offer made by your employer or their insurer, but the most important factor is the validity and strength of the case that you have filed on your own behalf. The more straightforward your evidence proving that you have suffered an injury in the workplace, the more likely it is that your claim would win within the system, and the more likely it is that the insurer will offer to settle. The insurance companies do a calculation that is based upon what will cost them the least amount of money – arguing against you in court or offering you a settlement that will fall under the amount that the amount that the workers’ compensation board is likely to agree that you deserve. One way or another the insurer is going to try to get out of the situation with the lowest possible payout, and that is why it is so important for you to have an experienced advocate working on your behalf and providing you with sound legal advice.

Workers who have been injured on the job in the state of Pennsylvania have the right to settle their workers’ compensation claim rather than receiving weekly or biweekly benefits through the system, and though your employer’s insurance company is always likely to offer a settlement with a lump payment instead of working through the claims process, it is important to remember that in doing so they will offer an amount that is lower than what you would likely be awarded in court.  Contact the Pennsylvania workers’ compensation attorneys from Vanasse Law to ensure that you are well represented and get the benefits that you deserve.