Overview of the Different Types of Workers’ Compensation Benefits in PA

Under the law of Pennsylvania, every employer in the state is required to provide workers’ compensation coverage to their workers. The employer can self-insure their employees against the injury or buy coverage from an insurance company.

A workers’ compensation is a form of insurance that is designed to provide wage replacement and medical benefits to employees that are injured in the course of employment. Also known as workers’ comp, it covers for injured and sick employee medical expenses, and replace wages for lost work time.

Many workers in Pennsylvania are unaware of the fact that there are a variety of compensation benefits available to injured employees. Here’s a detailed overview of each type of workers’ compensation benefits in PA. Take a look:

TTD Benefits

TTD is the abbreviation for Temporary Total Disability. These benefits are basically payable to those who are unable to work because of any type of temporary disability. Therefore, the disabled worker will receive coverage for as long as they re out of work due to their temporary total disability.

As per the law, if you have been out of work for 104 weeks, then the insurance carrier will require you to undergo IRE. IRE is Impairment Rating Evaluation that determines your level of whole body impairment. Thus, if it is below 50 percent then the injured worker will be identified as partially disabled. And your benefits under TTD will be limited to a maximum of 500 weeks. This further means that the benefits will not be reduced or raised during that period.

Partial Disability Benefits

This type of workers’ compensation benefits are offered when an Impairment Rating Evaluation indicates that you’re disabled partially and the doctor in the insurance carrier’s panel determines that the injured worker is now able to perform light duty work. This shows that even if you’re not fully recovered, you can still earn some wages.

In such a situation, if you are offered a new position according to your working ability but it offers you less pay than the previous position, then you will be entitled to receive 2/3 of the pay difference under partial disability benefits based on the average weekly wage up to the maximum rate of pay the year you were injured.

Specific Loss Benefits

If the injury at workplace led to the loss of a part of your body or loss of vision or hearing or in case you suffered from serious and permanent neck disfigurement, then you shall be entitled for specific loss benefits in Pennsylvania. These benefits are equal to your Temporary Total Disability benefits. However, they are offered for a specific period and healing.

Under the specific loss benefits, you will receive 2/3 of your weekly average income but for a limited number of weeks. This amount of time is determined based on the bodily injuries. Furthermore, the number of weeks of compensation that you will receive for every permanently disabled body disfigurement or part is basically outlined in a schedule of awards that is determined by the Bureau of Worker’s Compensation and the state.

Medical Expenses

Workers’ compensation benefits predominantly cover all the necessary as well as reasonable medical expenditures related to your occupational injury or illness. Medical expenses include but are not limited to:

• Surgery
• Visits to specialists

Keep in consideration that out of the ordinary medical treatments are not covered. Also, the medical coverage also includes any type of modification that should be made to your automobile in order to accommodate your injury. Moreover, there is no time or restrictions on the payment for your medical care on the injuries or illness incurred at work or in the course of your occupation.

Travel Expenses

In some situations, treatment may not be available for injured workers in their own community or city. Therefore, they must travel to seek treatment that they need. This can be costly if not covered.

However, according to the Workers’ Compensation Act, the insurance company shall cover the travel expense. In other words, the insurance carrier shall reimburse the travel expense that you might incur to seek treatment for the injuries caused at work or that are work-related.

Also, if you can’t get to where you need to be for treatment, the insurance carrier then should provide you with transportation to and from the location where the Independent Medical Examination takes place.

Death Benefits

In case, if a worker dies as a result of an occupational injury or illness within 300 weeks of the date of injury, then death benefits shall be paid up to $3,000 in funeral expenses along with additional benefits paid to the children that are under the age of 18 or are under 23 if enrolled as full time students. Besides this, death benefits should also be provided to the spouse of the deceased worker until they get married again.

How are Wage Loss Benefits in PA Calculated?

If you have been injured at work and have been away from work for a week or seven days then you shall start receiving workers’ compensation wage loss benefits. However, these 7 days are not paid until you have been off from work for at least 2 weeks. Then only you shall get paid for the first 7 days too.

Contact Our Experienced Workers’ Compensation lawyer in Pennsylvania

If you or a loved one has been injured at work or due to occupational reasons, then contact our team today. At Cherry Injury Law, we have a team of experienced workers’ compensation lawyers. We are familiar with almost all types of situation involving injured workers, thus we can easily help you determine what benefits you’re entitled to receive and the amount of those benefits. Give us a chance to serve you.  Get in touch with us today.