If you have been injured at work or have any questions about workers’ compensation, call today to consult with an experienced Pennsylvania workers’ compensation attorney and receive a free case evaluation.
Employers use labor market surveys to reduce workers’ compensation benefits. However, a labor market survey is a theoretical analysis and does not typically reflect an injured worker’s situation. A labor market survey does not consider whether a worker has ever performed the type of work suggested by the survey. It also does not consider whether the jobs are actually available or the employer is actually willing to hire. Recent decisions by Pennsylvania courts have made it much easier for employers to prove earning potential and decrease benefits.
Labor market surveys are used to reduce weekly benefit amount to 2/3 (66.7%) of the difference between the average weekly wage at time of injury and the earning capacity provided by the employer’s vocational expert who surveys the open and available employment positions in a worker’s geographic region that fits her vocational abilities, age, education, residual productive abilities and medical limitations as determined later by an Administrative Law Judge.
Prior to conducting a labor market survey, an insurance carrier files and provides the insured worker with a Notice of Ability to Return to Work listing the physician who authorized the work release, the extent of the release, and the underlying medical reasons for its issuance. The worker is then interviewed as part of this assessment with the resulting information compiled into a labor market survey, which is used as the basis for a petition to modify or terminate benefits.
An interview with an injured worker is always required as part of a labor market survey assessment. This interview should take place at the office of the attorney representing the injured worker. For 113 years, our attorneys have represented all types of workers in workers’ compensation cases. Our decades of experience make us the clear and obvious choice for representation in workers’ compensation matters in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and surrounding areas. At Powell Law, we effectively assist clients throughout the entire workers’ compensation claims process. Consult an experienced Pennsylvania workers’ compensation attorney. Contact Powell Law at (570) 961-0777. The consultation is FREE!
