Preparing for Your Workers’ Compensation Hearing in Philadelphia, PA
If you work in Philadelphia or the nearby areas and are hurt on the job, you can file a claim to recover workers’ compensation benefits to be reimbursed for financial losses, including medical expenses and missed income. Your business must purchase workers’ compensation insurance by law in Pennsylvania. Very few situations are an exception.
Don’t think that you will automatically be granted the compensation you are due by merely submitting a claim. The workers’ compensation procedure might be quite drawn out and complicated in Philadelphia. You may be required to appear in court proceedings where a judge will consider the pertinent evidence and decide whether to grant your request for workers’ compensation payments. Your employer and insurer may also be given a chance to make their case at these hearings about why your claim should be rejected.
Following a few crucial actions to prepare for a hearing can increase the likelihood that the court will rule in your favor. These are a few of them:
Inform Your Supervisor About Any Accidents
As soon as you are hurt, notify your manager about the workplace accident. You must make sure that your accident’s precise date, time, and location are documented.
Locate the Witnesses
Identify any potential eyewitnesses to your accident. Many of these people are likely coworkers. Get the name and contact details of any witnesses who are clients or other people you don’t know.
Record the Scene
Take pictures of the surroundings where your accident occurred. Depending on the specifics, they might support your argument that your accident happened while you were carrying out a work task. This can stop an insurance company from claiming you aren’t entitled to compensation since your accident wasn’t related to your place of employment.
Note any cameras that may have been filming during your accident, such as security cameras. Request that a video of the accident be recorded so that you can see it later from your manager, the owner of the property, or any other relevant party.
Go to a Doctor
Immediately after a job accident, seek medical care. It’s possible that you have been hurt even though you don’t see any outward evidence of it.
Seeing a doctor the same day of your accident can help you establish a link between your accident and your injuries, as well as clarify whether you require treatment if it turns out that you are wounded or not. An insurer will therefore find it difficult to claim that an unrelated incident could have caused your injuries.
Work with a Workers’ Compensation Attorney
You can preserve the evidence you need to collect and present at your workers’ compensation hearing by following all of the recommendations above. However, it could be necessary to perform a thorough investigation to fully utilize the evidence at your disposal.
Call a Reliable Philadelphia Workers’ Compensation Attorney
A Philadelphia workers’ compensation lawyer at the Law Offices of Eric A. Shore can handle a variety of activities on your behalf, including this one. We’ll ensure you’re well-prepared for any hearings related to workers’ compensation that you might be obliged to attend. Contact us online or give us a call at our Philadelphia law office!
