There is a potential of being injured in every type of occupation in Pennsylvania and across the country. Even though employees who are injured on the job may qualify for workers' compensation insurance benefits, many injured workers are left having to fight for the benefits they deserve. Such has been the case for one out-of-state exotic dancer who is still fighting for fair compensation approximately nine years after she was injured.
While she was working, the woman has shot in her stomach by a stray bullet during a fight. As a result, she was severely injured and ultimately lost her kidney. However, the club where she worked argued that the woman was a contractor, not an actual employee, and, as such, not entitled to workers' compensation benefits
However, the South Carolina Supreme Court ruled in 2015 that she was in fact an employee, citing the fact that the club threatened fines if she left a shift early, chose her music and dictated other aspects of her work. The ruling left the Workers' Compensation Commission to determine how much compensation she should receive and eventually ruled that she should receive $75 a week. Another state Supreme Court ruling entitles the woman a new hearing, arguing that the commission provided no justification for the amount of money it awarded her.
Employees, regardless of the field they are in, expect their employers to do the right thing in the event they become injured on the job. Unfortunately, this isn't always the case, prompting many injured workers in Pennsylvania to fight for the compensation they deserve. To do so, they often seek the advice of an attorney with experience with such cases to help them make informed decisions about their case.
Source: postandcourier.com, "South Carolina stripper shot on job to get new hearing to determine damages", Meg Kinnard, April 19, 2017
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