How Do Injured Workers Come to Terms with Fears of Losing Their Job if They File a Workers' Compensation Claim
The Workers' Compensation attorneys at the law firm of Krasno Krasno & Onwudinjo help injured workers formulate a game plan so they can avoid pitfalls and handle filing a Workers' Compensation claim efficiently and effectively.
September 19, 2011
Today's economic climate is having a dramatic effect on the health and well-being of injured workers. Skyrocketing unemployment rates and a 15% poverty level is a very scary realization. The impact it is having on injured workers is twofold.First, an employee that gets injured is typically living on a budget. If he/she gets injured, that employee will have to readjust that budget to compensate for the reduction in income. Workers' Compensation benefits in Pennsylvania pay between Ninety Percent (90%) and Sixty-Six and Two-Thirds (66 2/3%) of the gross wage. This benefit is tax free but it still reflects a deduction in terms of your overall earnings. If your claim is denied by the workers' compensation insurance carrier, there is a possibility that you may be without any money if you are unable to work. The financial impact makes injured workers hesitant to file claims.
Second, employees are hesitant to let their employers know that they are injured out of fear of getting fired or retaliated against. The consequence of this is the injured worker will continue to work hurt until the pain gets unbearable and then when they go to file a claim, the employer will deny it for failure to notify in a timely manner. In this scenario, the employee is left without many options. If the injured worker has private insurance they can try to put it through that plan but may not get the benefit of wage loss benefits like they would under workers' compensation. The physical impact is that the injured worker may be left without any medical insurance to try and get better.
The Workers' Compensation attorneys at the law firm of Krasno Krasno & Onwudinjo help injured workers formulate a game plan so that many of these pitfalls can be handled efficiently and effectively. One misconception we explain to injured workers is that you can continue to work and file a claim. We can litigate the medical aspect of your claim while you are still working. If we win your case and your doctor wants to perform surgery, you have a judge's decision saying the insurance company has to pay your medical bills and wage loss benefits related to the work injury.
Please visit our website at http://www.krasnolaw.com/ or call us toll free at 1.866.443.1505 to speak with one of our lawyers. We will help you through this.