It is likely that many Pennsylvania readers are aware that personal injury lawsuits may be filed in situations where an individual suffers an injury due to the negligence of another person. The idea behind these lawsuits is that they can provide financial damages to the injured party. But what happens when someone is hurt while working? Everyone may not know that while civil personal injury lawsuits may be an option there is a separate process in for these cases.
In most instances, when a worker is injured while doing something that is a part of his or her job, workers' compensation benefits can be sought. This is true regardless of whether negligence on the part of the employer is to blame for the injury. Most businesses in Pennsylvania are required to carry workers' compensation.
Because most Pennsylvania businesses have to carry workers' compensation insurance, the recent news that a new provider is branching out to small businesses in some states was likely interesting to many employers. Paychex Insurance Agency, Inc., along with EMPLOYERSTM, will offer the insurance to businesses in certain states, including Pennsylvania, which already utilizes Paychex for payroll.
Depending on the type and severity of the injury the benefits available vary. When the injury is something that requires a shorter period of time to recover, the benefits may cover the wages lost while the individual recovers as well as medical bills. In situations where the injuries are so severe that the worker is unable to return to work, long term benefits can be sought. Since these benefits are sometimes difficult to attain, situations a workers' compensation attorney can be helpful.
Source: Business Week, "Paychex and EMPLOYERS Join to Provide Workers' Compensation Insurance to Small Business Market," Oct. 9, 2012