Firefighters, police and other public workers face hazards every day on the job – but not all of them are immediately apparent. For example, firefighters have increased cancer rates, and first responders must deal with the emotional trauma of the serious situations they live through. The nature of these injuries and illnesses can create challenging… Read more
Often, disputes in workers’ compensation claims involves medical questions, such as whether carpal tunnel syndrome is job related or whether a heart attack stems from work. In other cases, the issue is not the injury at all. Instead, it involves whether the injury happened during the course and scope of employment. In Pennsylvania, the Workers’… Read more
“How do you calculate workers compensation?” If you have been injured at work, you are generally eligible for workers’ compensation benefits, including a weekly benefit to replace wages. Under Pennsylvania law, you are entitled to about two-thirds of your weekly wage, up to a maximum amount. The actual amount that you are owed is based… Read more
Pennsylvania workers’ compensation law allows employers to provide a list of health care providers that injured workers must use to chose their doctor. However, injured workers must use one of these designated health care providers only if certain conditions are met and only for the first 90 days after an injury. According to the Pennsylvania… Read more
A college professor who focuses on labor studies says that sweeping changes in the U.S. workforce are leading to widening inequality and job insecurity. The changes, called contingent employment, involve increasing numbers of workers who are not on the payroll in standard jobs. Instead, they are temps, part-timers or contract workers. An estimated 42.6 million… Read more
According to the Workers’ Compensation Act, injured workers are entitled to indemnity (wage-loss) benefits equal to two-thirds of their weekly wage for a work-related injury. However, there are minimum and maximum adjustments provided in the Act, and the benefit rate is set using the annual maximum in place at the time of injury. The maximum… Read more
Insurance companies are dropping firefighters from their workers’ compensation coverage in Pennsylvania due to reports showing that firefighters have an increased risk of developing cancer. Insurers started dropping coverage after the Firefighters Cancer Presumption Act was approved in 2011. The Firefighters Cancer Presumption Act says that every form of cancer can be considered a work-related… Read more
The U.S. Congress will be considering a proposed bill aimed at extending safety regulations and workplace protections for workers. The bill, Protecting America’s Workers Act, would strengthen the Occupational Safety and Health Act and benefit workers in Pennsylvania and throughout the country. The proposed bill would offer protection to more American workers that are currently… Read more
Martin Law partner Alfred J. Carlson was recently quoted in an article titled, “Work-Related Hearing Loss Claims: Conclusive Data Prove Elusive” written by Karen Pallarito for The Hearing Journal on April 2013 – Volume 66 – Issue 4. The article discusses the ongoing significant problem of hearing loss in the U.S. and the trend of… Read more
Mental disorders can affect any type of worker in the U.S but a new study found that first responders who are new to the job have a higher risk of suffering from a mental disorder after witnessing repeated traumatic events while working. The study found that first responders, firefighters and police officers who are relatively… Read more
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