Philadelphia Work Injury Lawyer
Do you need help? Call Laffey Bucci D’Andrea Reich & Ryan and let us guide and inform you of your options.
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Every job carries a risk of injury. That’s obvious on a roof or a factory floor, and less obvious in an office, where years of the same keystrokes can lead to carpal tunnel syndrome.
The exposure is there either way.
If you’re hurt at work, your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance is designed to cover your medical treatment and replace part of the wages you lose while you recover. It’s a real safety net, and it comes with real conditions. Claims get denied on paperwork problems.
Deadlines pass before anyone explains them. And when someone outside your company causes the injury, be it a subcontractor, an equipment manufacturer, or a driver, workers’ compensation may not be the whole answer.
The attorneys at Laffey Bucci D’Andrea Reich & Ryan help injured workers file claims, challenge denials, and pursue personal injury claims against third parties when the facts support one.
Our goal is to recover everything you’re owed and any additional remedy available to you.
What Is the Workers’ Compensation Process in Philadelphia?
As described by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor, workers’ compensation is a “mandatory, employer-financed, no-fault insurance which ensures that employees disabled due to a work-related injury or disease will be compensated for lost wages and provides necessary medical treatment to return them to the workforce.”
One of the most important things to keep in mind about the workers’ compensation program is that it is very rigid about filing the right paperwork within the right time frame. Failure to do so can result in having your claim denied on a “technicality.” No one wants to go through that when the bills are piling up.
Here’s what the Philadelphia workers’ compensation claim process looks like:
Reporting the Injury
Time Limits
It is hard to imagine getting injured on the job and not letting your employer know right away. However, there are many jobs where your “boss” might not be at the job site.
You must notify your employer as soon as possible after the injury, and the notice must be in writing. Giving notice within 21 days ensures your potential benefits go back to the date of injury. Giving notice within 120 days is mandatory, or you lose your right to claim entirely.
Employer Response
Once you notify your employer of the injury, they or their insurance carrier has 21 days from your notice to accept or deny the claim. They may also issue a temporary notice allowing up to 90 days for investigation.
Medical Treatment
Approved Providers
Do you know who your employer-approved health care providers are? They should provide a list of at least six designated health care providers.
You must seek out treatment with one of those providers for the first 90 days of your recovery. If you need immediate care, you can go to the nearest hospital or doctor, but after that you must use the approved list of providers. If you go to your personal physician, you may not be reimbursed for that visit.
Dispute and Litigation
Denials
If the insurer issues a denial or fails to pay, you can file a Claim Petition on the state’s online portal. You obtain the petition on the Workers’ Compensation Automated and Integrated System (WCAIS) site, but it is crucial that you fill out the forms correctly, or you could face additional delays.
Hearings
A contested claim is assigned to a workers’ compensation judge, who holds hearings to review medical evidence and testimony. This process routinely takes several months.
Appeals
If the judge denies your claim, you have 20 days to appeal the decision to the Workers’ Compensation Appeal Board. It’s important to remember that once you file and accept a workers’ compensation claim, you are not entitled to sue your employer. Workers’ compensation is meant to prevent that.
The only exception is if the employer engaged in negligent behavior, such as ignoring safety rules.
Identifying Third-Party Liability in Workplace Accidents
According to the most recent data collected by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 117,400 private-industry, nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses in Pennsylvania in 2024. Behind a number that large is a wide range of circumstances, and some of them involve someone other than your employer.
Third-party liability means a person or company outside your employer’s control contributed to your injury. It happened at work, but workers’ compensation isn’t the only avenue available — and unlike a comp claim, a third-party case can include damages for pain and suffering.
Here are some of the common sources of potential third-party liability accidents:
- Equipment Manufacturers: If you were injured by defective tools, safety gear, or machinery parts that malfunction, you could hold the manufacturer accountable.
- Outside Contractors or Subcontractors: Many jobs involve outside contractors or subcontractors. This is very common on construction projects where you might have a core building crew but bring in specialists such as plumbers and electricians. If those workers create unsafe hazards, they can be held liable for your injuries.
- Property Owners: Third-party commercial sites or client locations with unaddressed property dangers, like poor lighting or spills, can lead to injuries. That can be the basis of a premises liability
- Negligent Drivers: If you get into a car accident on the job, the driver who caused it can be held accountable.
When it is established that a third party caused your injury, you’ll need to file a personal injury claim. The legal team at Laffey Bucci D’Andrea Reich & Ryan can help you understand your options for pursuing a remedy.
Successful Results For Our Clients
We get results for our clients, because that’s what really matters. Over the course of four decades in combined trial experience, our dedicated work injury attorneys have secured hundred millions of dollars in compensation for injured workers. You deserve justice.
Common Types of Compensable Industrial and Construction Injuries
Industrial and construction jobs are among the most dangerous occupations. Workers also commonly use tools and machinery, which increases the risk of injury.
These injuries are routinely covered under workers’ compensation insurance:
- Sprains and strains
- Repetitive stress injuries (RSIs)
- Fractures
- Herniated discs
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Electric shock injuries
- Respiratory illnesses
Documenting the full scope of an injury early is important because conditions left off the initial claim are harder to add later.
Calculating the Full Value of Your Work Injury Settlement
Benefits aren’t automatic, and the amount you’re offered isn’t necessarily the amount you’re entitled to. Here’s what goes into the calculation.
Medical Expenses. A workers’ compensation claim can cover emergency care, surgery, physical therapy, prescription drugs, and medical supplies related to the injury, including future treatment.
Average Weekly Wage (AWW). Wage-loss benefits replace part of your pay, not all of it. Pennsylvania divides the year before your injury into four 13-week quarters, then averages the highest three and discards the lowest. Overtime and bonuses count toward the total.
Your weekly benefit is generally two-thirds of that figure, capped at a state maximum that changes every January. For injuries occurring in 2026, the maximum is $1,394 per week, a figure tied to the Statewide Average Weekly Wage (SAWW). You only reach that ceiling if your average weekly wage is roughly $2,091 or higher. Below that, the two-thirds calculation governs, and separate formulas apply to lower-wage workers.
Vocational Rehabilitation. If your injury keeps you from returning to the job you had, retraining or education to move into different work may be available as part of your claim.
Other factors can move the number in either direction. A permanent impairment can increase the value of a claim, while a dispute over whether a pre-existing condition caused or contributed to your symptoms can reduce what an insurer is willing to pay.
Settlement structure matters too. A Compromise and Release agreement typically trades your future rights under the claim for an immediate lump sum. Depending on how it’s negotiated, medical benefits may or may not stay open, which is precisely the kind of term worth reviewing with an attorney before signing.
“Work injury victims deserve strong, compassionate and devoted advocates who understand their pain. Our attorneys have the experience, background and skills necessary to pursue your case zealously and seek the best possible outcome.
Thousands of workers are injured throughout this country every day on the job. Many of them, like yourself, don’t understand that they have legal rights and remedies available to them beyond workers’ compensation.
You need a lawyer that understands not only the nature of the work that you perform but also the law that applies to it. We are those lawyers. If you’ve been injured on the job and you have any questions about your legal rights please contact us.”
Jeffrey Laffey, Founding Partner
How a Philadelphia Work Injury Lawyer Challenges Denied Claims
Filing a workers’ compensation claim requires precision. Your claim will be reviewed to determine whether the injury happened in the course of your employment and what you’re owed in wage replacement and medical coverage. An advocate who knows the statute and the filing process can make a real difference in that review.
We’ve helped Philadelphia workers through the workers’ compensation claim process for years.
If a claim is denied, Pennsylvania provides a route to contest it: filing a Claim Petition and presenting the dispute to a workers’ compensation judge, with a further appeal to the Workers’ Compensation Appeal Board if necessary. We can be there at every step.
Acting promptly after a denial matters. In Pennsylvania, an injured worker generally has three years from the date of injury to file a Claim Petition. Waiting makes it harder to preserve evidence, locate witnesses, and protect your right to benefits. Our attorneys bring decades of combined trial experience to work injury cases, and our case results reflect the effort we put into each one.
If you’ve been injured on the job and you’re facing a denial, a lowball offer, or a situation where someone outside your company was involved, we want to hear from you. You don’t have to accept an insurance carrier’s decision without a fight.
Reach out to our firm to set up a consultation and discuss your options.
Meet Our Attorneys
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535Jeffrey Laffey Jeffrey LaffeyAreas of Practice
Learn More -
536Paul Bucci Paul BucciAreas of Practice
- Car/Truck Accidents
- Construction Accidents
- Medical Malpractice
- Premises Liability
- Products Liability
- Workplace Accidents
- 539Sam Reich Sam Reich
Areas of Practice
- Car/Truck Accidents
- Construction Accidents
- Medical Malpractice
- Premises Liability
- Products Liability
- Workplace Accidents
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541Stewart Ryan Stewart Ryan - 6024Griffin Remick Griffin Remick
Areas of Practice
- Car/Truck Accidents
- Construction Accidents
- Medical Malpractice
- Premises Liability
- Products Liability
- Workplace Accidents
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13932Jake Warner Jake WarnerAreas of Practice
- Car/Truck Accidents
- Clergy Abuse Cases
- Personal Injury
- Premises Liability
- School Abuse Cases
- Sexual Assault
- Victims of Crime
- Workplace Accidents
Legal Rights of Injured Workers
We represent victims in work-related injury claims, using our valuable experience and talented team to pursue maximum compensation on behalf of tradesmen injured on the job. Our attorneys are licensed to practice in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Delaware, New York, Illinois, Florida and West Virginia.
The vast majority of work place accidents are covered under workers’ compensation. However, there are a substantial amount of remedies that may be available to you that are not covered under workers’ compensation and that’s where we come in. Please call Laffey Bucci D’Andrea Reich & Ryan so we can evaluate your claim and provide you with all of your options.