In Pennsylvania, most workers know that they have a number of protected rights. Furthermore, the laws governing these rights are intended to reduce the chance of anyone falling into undue hardship. Workers' compensation laws come under this category and can be invaluable to employees who suffer serious injuries at work.
It can take time to recover, meaning lost wages and hefty medical bills, which under normal circumstances could leave the victim in considerable debt. However, a successful compensation claim often means that many of those costs are covered. Moreover, as this works as a form of no-fault system, it is considered largely unimportant whether the injuries resulted from negligence on the part of the employer, employee or anyone else.
This is because, as this article on workers' compensation explains, it is not treated as a lawsuit against the responsible party, but more as a claim for benefits. However, one important thing to remember is that in some states it is not possible to receive compensation if you were intoxicated at the time of your injury.
Injuries that were self-inflicted or resulted from horseplay are also regularly excluded, as are instances where an employee has left work for a personal errand and been injured in the process. As such, it can sometimes be difficult to accurately assess how successful a given claim might be.
Fortunately, you do not need to navigate this process alone. An attorney can analyze the details of your case and may be able to advise you about whether you may be entitled to claim or whether you might be more successful pursuing a civil action against whomever was responsible for your injuries.
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