In 2018, Governor Wolf announced a set of opioid prescribing guidelines to assist health care providers in treating workers’ compensation patients. Highlighting the need for reform and the need to combat increasing opioid addiction, the guidelines include recommendations for the treatment of acute, sub-acute, post-operative pain, and chronic pain. Treating work-related injuries, as well as […]
Any Pennsylvania worker who suffers a work-related injury or who is diagnosed with an occupational disease and informs his or her employer, i.e., giving notice of this injury or condition, should expect that the employer will report this injury to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry (PDLI) and the employer’s workers’ compensation provider. The Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Act […]
Like most of the fifty states, Pennsylvania is an “at-will” employment state, meaning that an employer may fire an employee at any time, for any reason without recourse. In turn, employees may quit their job at any time without reason or recourse by an employer. The coronavirus pandemic has subjected an unprecedented number of Pennsylvanians […]
The construction industry in Pennsylvania resumed operations on May 1, 2020, under Governor Wolf’s order after the shutdown resulting from the coronavirus pandemic. Despite reopening, all construction businesses must follow certain guidelines during operations to counter the spread of the virus. The following provides details about reopening, continuing, or beginning projects. Residential Construction Residential construction […]
Correctly calculating an injured worker’s compensation rate is both a complicated and critical undertaking. An incorrect calculation may lead to costly litigation, penalties, even the disallowance of a claim under some circumstances. In 1906, James Powell, Sr. founded Powell Law. Since then, our attorneys have litigated workers’ compensation cases involving all types of workplace injuries. […]
Work-related injuries necessitate workers receiving some level of medical treatment. Many Pennsylvania workers believe that it is mandatory they obtain treatment from doctors chosen by their employer or insurance carrier. While the law provides employers with some input in the decision of where an injured worker will seek treatment, after the passage of the requisite time […]
Powell Law has represented injured workers for 115 years and has a distinguished reputation throughout northeastern Pennsylvania for adhering to the highest standards in serving those injured on the job. In 1915, the Pennsylvania Legislature enacted the Pennsylvania Workmen’s (Workers’) Compensation Act (the “Act”) specifying compensation for employees who are injured as a result of […]
The workers’ compensation system in Pennsylvania, like that in every state, was created to assist individuals who are injured or who become ill while working, or as a result of working. Workers’ compensation provides benefits that pay medical expenses and lost wages while an injured worker recovers from an accident or illness. Most Pennsylvania employers […]
Correctly calculating an injured worker’s compensation rate is both a complicated and critical undertaking. An incorrect calculation may lead to costly litigation, penalties, even the disallowance of a claim under some circumstances. In 1906, James Powell, Sr. founded Powell Law. Since then, our attorneys have litigated workers’ compensation cases involving all types of workplace injuries. […]
In a concerted effort to slow the spread of COVID-19, the Department of Labor & Industry, Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC), Workers’ Compensation Office of Adjudication (WCOA), and Workers’ Compensation Appeal Board (WCAB) have taken swift and impactful action to sustain the operation of Pennsylvania’s workers’ compensation system. The Commonwealth is working diligently to educate its […]
