Every day many workers in the Philadelphia region are injured in the work place. It can be a welder who burns his hands or a administrative assistant who slips on a wet floor. In each case they will rely on the the Workers Comp Marlton program to get back on their feet without going bankrupt. The law requires that the employer participate in the program and pay for medical treatment for the injury. That treatment can only stop when the worker is fully recovered or a doctor finds that more medical attention won’t be helpful. If more medical treatment won’t return the worker back to full heath, then he or she should be given a permanent disability payment. That can either be doled out in monthly installments or be a one-time payment. If the worker can only return to work on a part-time basis, then they may be entitled to partial permanent disability.
A lawyer is often necessary to help a worker through the workers compensation regulations. For example, it’s the employer and insurance company who get to pick the doctors that the employee has to see for medical treatment. A company may try to minimize those visits by selecting a doctor in a distant location. That is not allowed. The doctor has to be conveniently located to the worker. If the worker believes they need a specialist and the company has not included one on the list, then the worker can select his own specialist. However, the company doctor may argue that it’s not needed. This is when the worker’s lawyer can intercede on their behalf.
The worker has to always keep in mind that the doctor and the insurance company are not on their side. The doctor is paid by the insurance company who makes money by minimizing payouts. So the worker can expect that the doctor will try and state that the worker is in better shape than is true. In that case, the lawyer may have to arrange for an independent evaluation. If they employee is attempting to receive permanent disability status under the Workers Compensation Marlton program, they can expect to have to undergo rigorous medical examinations initially. They will also be re-examined on a regular basis to confirm the condition still prevents them from working.
