Did you know that by the 1920s almost all US states had some type of workers' compensation system? To learn more about your state's workers' compensation laws, contact an experienced attorney.
Lancaster County Workers' Compensation Attorney
For more than 20 years, attorney Mike Vanasse has practiced exclusively in the area of workers' compensation. At Vanasse Law LLC, in Lancaster, we are dedicated to helping injured workers in central Pennsylvania, obtain benefits to cover lost wages and medical expenses. If you have been hurt on the job, you need to speak with an experienced lawyer as soon as possible to ensure that you do not lose our on important benefits.
Contact our firm to schedule a free initial consultation about your workers' compensation issues. Let us serve your needs and give you the answers and legal counsel that you deserve. Send us an e-mail or call our Lancaster office at 717-397-1010 (toll free at 888-576-0240).
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The majority of employers in Pennsylvania are required by law to have workers' compensation insurance that will cover the medical expenses and lost wages of injured workers. By applying for workers' comp benefits, employees give up their rights to pursue other legal remedies, giving businesses confidence about avoiding expensive litigation.
Workers' compensation benefits work on a no-fault model, which means that regardless of who caused your workplace accident, you may file for benefits. There is no need to prove exactly what happened in order to obtain benefits.
Employer Retaliation against the Workers' Compensation Claimant
Workers' compensation is sometimes viewed as a compromise between employees and employers: workers give up the right to sue for large awards in court in exchange for certain and timely, albeit relatively lower, reimbursement for work-related injuries and illnesses. Employers accept responsibility for these injuries and illnesses even if they are not at fault, but they no longer have to worry about being tied up in court or about potential liability for large verdicts.
Unfortunately, even in this spirit of compromise, sometimes an employer may retaliate against an employee for filing or even talking about filing a workers' compensation claim. In most states, employees have legal rights and remedies in response to such adverse employer actions. If you encounter retaliation from your employer in a workers' compensation matter, an experienced workers' compensation attorney at Vanasse Law LLC in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, can advise you of your legal options.
Examples of Retaliation
Most commonly, people think of employer retaliation in the form of retaliatory discharge - unjustly firing an employee for pursuing his or her workers' compensation rights. But improper employer retaliation can also come in other forms short of termination, such as discrimination or harassment in the following ways:
- Undeservedly poor performance review
- Failure to promote
- Adverse wage action
- Isolation or intimidation in the workplace
- Demotion
- Threats of adverse action
- Negative reassignment, reclassification or transfer
- Interference with the workers' compensation claims process
- Refusal to rehire
- Negative action vis-à-vis employment benefits or terms of employment, such as insurance, vacation or scheduling
- Unreasonable increase or decrease in job duties
- Unwarranted disciplinary action
- Undeservedly negative employment references
- Retaliation against a co-employee testifying in support of a claimant or cooperating in the investigation
Legal Remedies for Retaliation
Although a relatively recent development, most states have some legal remedy for employees whose employers have retaliated against them for taking workers' compensation action. Many states have legislatively created legal protections for such employees. These remedies may be available through state agencies and/or in court actions. Even where legislative action has not protected such workers, many states' courts have allowed retaliatory discharge lawsuits for exercising workers' compensation rights. Some states allow both statutory and court-created or common-law remedies; other states may only provide for one or the other. The remedies available vary from state to state, so it is a good idea to consult a lawyer to learn about your particular options.
Even if your state has not recognized these remedies for employer retaliation in the workers' compensation setting, there may be other ways to find legal help.
Justifiable Employer Action
Employers may still legitimately terminate or discipline any employee, regardless of workers' compensation status, as long as the negative action is not a pretext for workers' compensation retaliation and the action does not violate any other employment laws.
Conclusion
Stand up for yourself if you have been the victim of employer retaliation in response to the exercise of your workers' compensation rights. A skilled attorney from Vanasse Law LLC in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, can advise you of the law in your state surrounding workers' compensation retaliation.
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