AboutMargot RN BScN GNC Expertise Please feel free to ask anything, but the more specific you are, the easier it is for me. Please share as many details as you are comfortable doing. I do check my Emails daily Monday through Friday so you should receive an answer within 24 hours on most business days. Thanks.
Experience I have 18 years experience as a Small Business Owner-Operator; I own a Nursing Agency so often deal with both employee and client injuries. I would be pleased to offer any assistance I can. If I can not answer your question I'll do my best to direct you to an appropriate resource. Thank you. Experience in the area 20 years of Long Term Care and Community Nursing, specialising in Geriatrics, Gerontology and PalliativeCare.
Education/Credentials Registered Nurse , Certified Gerontological Nurse, Bachelor of Science in Nursing >
Question OK - MY BOYFRIEND WORKS AT A METAL SCRAP YARD IN PENNSYLVANIA - HE WAS DOING SOMETHING HIS BOSS HAD ASKED HIM TO DO AND WHILE DOING IT - SOMEHOW SO MUCH PRESSURE WAS PUT ON HIS HANDS THAT THE TIP OF HIS FINGER POPPED AND HE WAS TAKEN TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM AND RECEIVED ELEVEN STITCHES. THIS HAPPEN ON A THURSDAY - NOW HE WAS OUT OF WORK UP TO AND INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING WED AND RETURNED TO WORK ON THURSDAY (A WEEK AFTER THE INCIDENT) WE WERE UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT THESE DAYS WERE PAID BY WORKMAN'S COMP (HE GOT THAT IMPRESSION FROM HIS BOSS AND THEN I FROM MY BOYFRIEND). HOWEVER WHEN RETURNING TO WORK THE BOSS INFORMED HIM THAT THIS WAS NOT PAYABLE BY WORKMAN COMP - REASON WAS SOMETHING ALONG THE LINES OF - HE NEEDED TO BE OUT OF WORK FOR MORE THAN 7 DAYS. IS THIS CORRECT?
SO WHAT IS THE LAW ON WORKER'S COMP IN PA - MORE SPECIFICALLY DO YOU HAVE TO BE OUT OF WORK A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME TO RECEIVE IT? AND IN THIS CASE, DO YOU THINK IN YOUR OPINION THAT HE SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED PAY FOR HIS TIME OFF.
NEXT QUESTION - WHAT IS THE PAY FOR WORKER'S COMP - IS IT A PERCENTAGE OR BASED ON OTHER INFORMATION.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME IN THIS MATTER.
SINCERELY,
A CONFUSED BYSTANDER
Answer Hi Danielle and thanks for writing,
Worker's Comp rules vary state to state so the best thing to do is to cover your bases and:
-check your policy at your place of work and follow that policy (usually this means reporting your injury to your direct supervisor and/or First Aid Officer, and completing an Incident/Injury Report),
-go see your GP and get examined, be sure to mention you were hurt at work,
-check your local state regulations online and make sure you've followed all necessary steps, (see http://www.dli.state.pa.us/landi/cwp/view.asp?a=138&Q=58929).
This will tell you if there is a minimum time-off clause
although I read "Medical benefits are payable from the first day of injury" and "Wage-loss benefits are equal to approximately two-thirds of your average weekly wage, up to a weekly maximum".
-keep good notes and do not sign anything releasing liability or saying you're fine for at least six months as muscular-skeletal injuries can flare up months after the original injury.
In my experience there is no rhyme or reason to which Comp claims get accepted, and which get denied, but to me, your case sounds like something that should be covered.
Always remember that it is in the best interest of the insurance company to deny as many claims as possible so you do need to persevere even if they decline your first claim; employers can also drag their feet as they don't want their premiums to go up with another claim.
