When you are injured at work, there are specific Pennsylvania timeframes that you need to keep in mind. Failing to observe these deadlines can result in complications, including a denial of your claim.
Here are two crucial deadlines:
120 days
Pennsylvania requires workers to report work-related injuries within 120 days. After this period, one can lose their eligibility for workers’ compensation benefits.
Even though the law gives you 120 days, the earlier you report an injury, the better. Consider reporting the same day, if possible. This allows you to receive immediate medical attention, protecting the injury from worsening. Additionally, it helps you link the injury to your work. You may need more evidence to prove that an injury that occurred a month ago happened while you were in the line of duty. This is because your employer’s insurance company may claim that factors outside work might have caused it.
Same-day reporting also allows you to preserve evidence. You can take photos of the hazardous condition before things change, collect witness statements before memories fade, secure surveillance footage before it’s overwritten and take your employer to the accident scene to document the hazard and initiate an investigation immediately.
If you develop an occupational disease, you should report it as soon as you notice symptoms.
21 days
Despite an employee having a maximum 120-day deadline, they must report an injury within 21 days from the injury date to receive retroactive benefits. These are payments for lost wages from the first day you miss work because of the injury. Failing to observe this deadline may cost you weeks of pay.
It’s critical for Pennsylvania workers to understand these two deadlines. It also helps to know the steps to take to receive the compensation you deserve.