The PA Workers' Compensation newly installed computer system is plaqued with errors.
Hundreds if not thousands of workers' compensation cases statewide have been in limbo since September when the Department of Labor and Industry completed a $45 million overhaul of the system it uses to process claims and assign them to judges. The new software was designed to modernize and update the system used to process filing claims. Unfortunately this has not happened but just the opposite.
Errors range from inability to file claims or upload legal documents into the system to court paperwork disappearing. As a result Injured Workers have been unable to get hearings and a great backlog of cases has developed.
Attorneys of people with work related injuries, as well as attorneys for employers and insurance companies are not being notified of decisions. Some decisions are being sent to the wrong parties. Some attorneys aren't getting decisions. Paper work is getting lost. Judges and staff have been unable to upload critical documents into the system.
The new system is almost causing the entire Workers' Compensation process in Pennsylvania to come to a halt. And people are suffering.
The new system was designed by Deloitte Consulting. LLC and went live September 9 and errors started immediately.
Typically in the past under the old computer system cases would be assigned within a week of filing and the injured worker could expect a hearing within 7-14 days.
The Workers' Compensation (some say Workmen's Compensation) system is to provide lost wages and medical treatment for injured workers-people with job related injuries. Injured workers who cannot quickly return to work struggle not just with their pain and injuries but with getting treatment and making ends meet. Not only are they injured and in pain they can't get the treatment they need. In addition injured workers aren't able to work because of their injuries and have no income coming in.
The Department of Labor and Industry has said that they are acting as quickly as they can to address the issues but problems continue. The initial contract was under $45 million that Deloitte signed with then governor Ed Rendell. There is a 90 day warranty period for the company to fix any problems. After that the state is paying $5.1 million a year for three years for maintenance.
One can only hope that the glitches can be worked out quickly as the backlog of cases continues to rise.
If you have questions regarding your work injury and/or the Workers' Compensation System contact Dugan & Associates, lawyers representing injured people.
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