Most employees in Pennsylvania are eligible for workers’ compensation benefits under certain circumstances. If they get hurt on the job or acquire a medical condition directly related to their work functions, they can apply for workers’ compensation benefits. The available benefits include health coverage to pay for necessary treatment and disability benefits if they must take time away from work to recover.
Although those benefits are available to most workers, people often feel hesitant about filing a claim. Many employees dealing with job-acquired medical challenges may try to find other solutions initially. They might manage their symptoms with over-the-counter pain relievers or seek temporary accommodations on the job.
Their goal might be to prevent causing negative consequences for the company that employs them, but they may put themselves at a disadvantage by doing so. Workers who wait too long to file a benefits claim may eventually lose the option of doing so.
Workers have up to three years to file a claim
Pennsylvania is actually relatively generous toward workers with maladies caused by their employment. The worker in need of benefits has up to three years from the date of their injury or diagnosis to initiate a benefits claim. They can potentially try to manage their symptoms independently or pursue other solutions first as long as they don’t wait too long to file a claim.
However, workers typically have to take action well before that three-year deadline to protect their right to benefits. In cases involving a specific precipitating incident, workers also have to make a point of reporting the matter to the company in a timely fashion.
A same-day report is usually the best option when a worker gets hurt on the job. They can potentially wait up to 21 days to report the incident and still be eligible for retroactive benefits in many cases. If the worker takes more than 120 days to notify their employer, they may be ineligible for workers’ compensation unless they can prove the company already knew about the injury.
Employees who understand the rules that apply to Pennsylvania workers’ compensation claims can avoid mistakes that could lead to denied claims. Those who take action quickly after an injury or diagnosis have the best chance of getting the benefits they require.
