June 10, 2009
Posted by: Attorney Edgar Snyder
There are some professions where the risk of pain and injury seem par for the course, but ABC News has revealed several "painful" careers that may come as a surprise, including nurse aides and truck drivers. Sometimes it's not physical risk that leads to injury in these types of jobs, but rather repeated motions or lack of bodily movement, stretching, or sleep. Nurse aides missed the most days of work due to injuries, according to a November 2007 report by the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics. Lifting, maneuvering heavy patients, and bending to assist patients with daily functions are all factors. Prevention is the best treatment, so ask for help if you need it. The article says that although truck drivers don't perform much manual labor, sitting in one position for long periods of time, often with poor back support, can cause various aches and pains. Also, the heavy lifting and pulling required to prepare a truck for a trip can be strenuous. Exercise and stretching is recommended but difficult because of the limited opportunities for trucks to pull off the road. Here's ABC's complete list of 10 painful professions: 1. Police officer 2. Firefighter 3. Truck driver 4. Pilot 5. Musician 6. Blogger 7. Stunt person 8. Construction worker 9. Nurse aid 10. Dancer Injuries sustained at work can be serious and have life-changing effects. If you've been hurt on the job or would like information on workers compensation claims, you can visit my law firm's website to learn more.
April 03, 2009
Posted by: Attorney Edgar Snyder
There was a really interesting article in the New York Times yesterday about workers compensation claims. The article highlights a situation that my law firm has seen all too often – employees who are treated unfairly if they are injured on the job. It seems logical that if you're hurt on the job, you should be compensated for your injuries. Unfortunately, as many of you know, it's not that simple. Dennis Liotta, a partner at my law firm who is also the manager of our Workers Compensation Department, wrote a blog post on the difficulties that Pennsylvania residents face when they file a work comp claim. Even though the Times article tells the stories of New York workers, many of their experiences are similar to the very things we've seen happen to our clients – employers who pressure injured workers into not filing a claim, employers who wrongly regard many claims as fraudulent, and workers who are fired for filing claims. The article describes one young man who was hurt when scaffolding he was standing on broke. Even though he injured his spine and couldn't get up, his boss told the workers not to call an ambulance and promised to compensate the employee as long as he didn't file a claim. That young man is now 22-years-old, paralyzed, and the employer hasn't paid him anything. Sadly, experiences like these happen more often than most people think. I encourage you to check out the article to learn more and to contact my law firm for a free legal evaluation if you've been hurt on the job.
May 23, 2008
Posted by: Attorney Edgar Snyder
Since Attorney Dennis Liotta, a partner at my firm and manager of our Workers Compensation Department, has been giving you advice on what to do if you are hurt on-the-job in Pennsylvania, we thought we should close the work comp series by hearing from someone who has real-life experience pursuing a work comp claim. Lee Marcheck recently joined my firm as a paralegal. When she learned that we were writing this series, she told me that Dennis handled a work comp claim for her when she worked at a previous job. Here is what she had to say about the experience: "Working with Dennis was absolutely wonderful. Fighting for workers compensation benefits can be overwhelming, and it can sometimes feel like your employer and the work comp system are working together against you, the employee. When Edgar Snyder & Associates handled my claim, however, I didn't have to do anything. They did everything for me. Dennis was there for me every step of the way – answering my questions and making sure I understood the entire process. My claim had a wonderful outcome and I couldn't have been more pleased." Lee is right— fighting for work comp benefits on your own can be daunting. There can appear to be endless roadblocks put up to prevent you from getting the benefits that you deserve. I was very happy to hear how pleased Lee was with the outcome of her claim, and I am proud that we get to help so many people every day who are hurt on the job. I would like to thank Dennis again for his contributions to our PA Work Comp series, and I hope that you found the information useful.
May 22, 2008
Posted by: Attorney Dennis Liotta
Here are important steps to take after you've reported your Pennsylvania on-the-job injury to your employer: 1. Now that you checked to see if your employer has a Panel of Physicians, you need to see an approved doctor for medical treatment. If your employer doesn't have a Panel of Physicians posted, you can see your own doctor. It's important to visit a physician because their diagnosis of your injury will dictate your eligibility for workers compensation. 2. If the doctor you visit places you on leave from work for more than seven days, you will want to file a "loss of wages" claim to start receiving workers comp checks. You are only eligible to receive payments for your first seven days of lost wages if you are off work and placed under a doctor's care for 14 days or more. 3. After you've taken these steps, your employer must either accept or deny responsibility for your on-the-job injury. If they accept, you'll receive a "notice of compensation payable" or a "temporary notice of compensation payable." A temporary notice means that your employer will pay for your treatment for the first 90 days. If they deny responsibility, you'll receive a "notice of compensation denial." If your employer denies responsibility for your injury, you should seek help from a Pennsylvania workers comp lawyer. I hope that these tips help injured workers understand the work comp process better. For more information about denial of benefits, check out Denied Workers Comp Benefits in PA from our Workers Compensation Information on our law firm's website.
May 14, 2008
Posted by: Attorney Dennis Liotta
1. First, you have to report the injury to your employer within 120 days of becoming injured. Oftentimes, injured workers think that they're not hurt that badly or the injury will go away. But that's not always the case. That's why you must report your workplace injury if you've been hurt on the job in Pennsylvania. 2. Once you've reported the injury, your employer must complete an accident report. This accident report should detail the nature of your injury, including the time, date, location, and event of your accident. 3. Check with your employer to see if they have a Panel of Physicians. Most employers in Pennsylvania have a panel of physicians – doctors on the list could range from orthopedic to neurosurgeon to family practice to chiropractic. By law in PA, for the first 90 days of your reported injury, you must use the Panel of Physicians to treat your injury. After those 90 days, you can see your own physician. These are just a few tips to get you started if you've just been injured at work. For more information about what comes next after these first steps, check out Steps to Follow After an Accident from our Workers Compensation Information on our law firm's website. In my next post, I will outline Steps to Take After You've Reported Your Injury.
May 12, 2008
Posted by: Attorney Dennis Liotta
In the 18 years that I have practiced workers' compensation law at Edgar Snyder & Associates, I have received countless phone calls from clients who are frustrated with the work comp system. Long-time employees are treated poorly by their employers, they are blamed for injuries that are not their fault, and they are only looking to get the benefits they deserve.
In Pennsylvania, the workers' compensation system is stacked against the individual worker. For example, there is no cost-of-living adjustment to workers' compensation payments – in five years you will receive the same amount of money that you begin receiving at the time of your injury. Furthermore, injured employees are not informed of their rights. Many people do not know that in Pennsylvania an injured worker cannot sue for pain and suffering or for disruption of family life. He or she is only entitled to compensation for medical bills and to receive checks every one or two weeks. In other instances, workers are placed under surveillance and are harassed by employers and insurance companies. The PA workers' comp system is designed to slowly bleed injured workers to death financially.
Our team of work comp attorneys is here to guide our clients through this maze of legal issues. That is why I feel it's important to present this workers' compensation series with tips on what to do if you are hurt on-the-job in Pennsylvania. The topic of my next post will be Steps to Take If You've Just Been Injured.
April 11, 2008
Posted by: Attorney Edgar Snyder
I'm happy to announce a new series of upcoming blog posts that will feature my law firm's Workers Compensation Department. Our experienced team consists of seven attorneys and ten legal staff dedicated exclusively to helping injured workers in Pennsylvania. Over the next few weeks, we'll be posting about what to do if you're hurt on the job. We'll address questions about the workers comp claims process. For those who are already receiving PA work comp, we'll discuss what to do if you've been denied benefits of if you're in danger of losing workers comp. We'll talk about lump sum settlements and dealing with the insurance company, including watching out for tricks that could cause you to lose your work comp benefits. To help me discuss the Pennsylvania Workers Compensation system and everything that goes along with it, Attorney Dennis Liotta will join me as a guest blogger. A member of Edgar Snyder & Associates for 18 years, Attorney Liotta is a partner at my law firm and the manager of our Workers Compensation Department. So keep on the lookout for upcoming posts that will help you navigate the issues of dealing with the workers comp system in Pennsylvania.
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