PA workers compensation is a government-mandated program requiring employers to purchase insurance coverage to provide benefits, including lost wages and medical care costs, to employees who become ill or injured on the job. In exchange, employers cannot be sued by their injured workers in personal injury lawsuits. Each state has its own laws and programs for workers’ compensation. The Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Act governs the program in our state.
The purpose of the Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Act is to protect all workers’ rights, in any job-related injury, regardless of the employment location. Whether the injury occurs in an office, hospital, warehouse, factory or construction site, the Workers’ Compensation Act provides for several types of benefits: wage-loss benefits, medical benefits, specific benefits for loss of use of a particular body part, and death benefits.
People injured on the job are entitled to lost wages benefits for the time they are unable to return to work. If your injury prevents you from returning to your previous position and forces you to take a lower level income job, the Act provides for payment of the difference in your wages from your previous position. The Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Act also provides for payment of medical and surgical services, hospital and rehabilitation services, including orthopedic & prosthetic appliances.
Specific Loss Benefits are available to the worker who has lost permanent use of all or part of his arm, leg, foot, finger, hand, toe, or has experienced sight or hearing loss or has suffered disfigurement on his head, face or neck. In the case of a fatal accident or job-related illness, workers’ compensation provides death benefits for surviving dependents.
As PA workers compensation lawyers, at Pearson Koutcher Law we work hard to obtain the maximum benefits for injured workers. Below are a few workers’ compensation benefits we have recently obtained for our clients. To read more about our settlements, go to our workers’ comp settlement’s page.
$260,000 Lump Sum Settlement for Injured Philadelphia Carpenter
Laura M. Brooke, PA workers compensation attorney of Pearson Koutcher Law, settled the case of a young carpenter working in Philadelphia for $260,000. The injured worker was picking up a piece of drywall the left knee “popped”. After three surgeries, the injured worker was still in extreme pain and unable to return to work, which also lead to serious psychological injuries including depression. Ms. Brooke filed a review petition to include the psychological injuries. Ms. Brooke then took the claim to mediation and settled shortly after for medical treatment and nearly 5 years of wage loss benefits.
$215,000 Lump Sum Settlement for Injured Philadelphia Bicycle Designer
Jonathan Koutcher, founding partner of Pearson Koutcher Law, settled the case of a Philadelphia bicycle designer for $215,000. The injured worker was testing a bicycle at an out of state location and suffered a cervical spine fracture when thrown from the bicycle. Mr. Koutcher filed several petitions in the case, including petitions to add psychological, orthopedic and neurological injuries sustained by the injured worker. The worker’s compensation insurance company denied the requested additions to the accepted work injury, so Mr. Koutcher obtained testimony from the injured worker and treating physicians. Thereafter, the case was able to settle for a lump sum of $215,000, representing almost 7 years of wage loss benefits.
$425,000 Lump Sum Settlement for Injured Cumberland County Worker with Electrocution Injury
PA worker’s compensation attorney Jonathan Koutcher of Pearson Koutcher Law settled the case of a Cumberland County, Pennsylvania electrical worker who was electrocuted when a cable was not properly grounded. The injured worker initially sustained arm and leg injuries, where the electricity entered and exited the body. The injured worker then began to develop a constellation of symptoms consistent with post-concussion syndrome, cognitive impairment, visual disturbance and nerve damage in the upper extremities. Mr. Koutcher filed petitions with the court seeking to add injuries to the already accepted work-related injuries, and the worker’s compensation insurance company filed a petition alleging that work was generally available for the injured worker to perform. The settlement negotiated by Mr. Koutcher for the injured worker represents more than eight (8) years of wage loss benefits in a lump sum.
Workers’ compensation litigation requires a skilled, knowledgeable attorney. Although the Act does not require a finding of fault by either the injured worker or the employer for benefits to be awarded, an employer or the insurance carrier may initially deny your claim or your benefits could be unjustly suspended, modified or terminated. The best protection against incomplete or untimely benefits is to hire the Philadelphia workers’ compensation lawyers of Pearson Koutcher Law to file a claim petition on your behalf to protect your rights and pursue your interests in the workers’ compensation courts.
The Philadelphia workers’ compensation attorneys at Pearson Koutcher Law are dedicated to the singular goal of securing maximum compensation and full benefits entitled to injured employees under the laws of Pennsylvania. Their years of experience as seasoned, skillful trial lawyers and negotiators, along with their compassion and diligent understanding of the significant impact a workplace accident can have on an injured worker’s life, motivates the attorneys of Pearson Koutcher Law to approach each new client individually, with meticulous consideration to their specific individual considerations and circumstances. Call our office today at 215-267-0700 or email us at to discuss the particular facts of your Pennsylvania workers’ compensation matter.