Understanding How Workers’ Comp Covers Your Lost Wages: Explained by Our Workers’ Compensation Lawyers in Philadelphia
For people injured on the job, workers’ compensation can help pay for lost wages. This is very important for a large city like Philadelphia that has a lot of workers. Serious workplace accidents could keep you out of work for a prolonged period of time. This means lost wages for you and your family. Combined with the increase in medical bills due to your injuries, our workers’ compensation lawyers in Philadelphia know that for many families this can be a very challenging time. It can also be a very confusing time. workers’ compensation carriers do not make filing a claim easy. There is a lot of paperwork required and in some instances, you may only have 21 days to notify your employer of a workplace injury. This can be a very difficult task if you have been seriously injured and wondering how to pay for your lost wages. Other times you may be in a situation where your treating physician is recommending one course of treatment, but an independent medical examiner (IME) is recommending something completely different. This is a large problem for workers in a city such as Philadelphia. Our city has so many workers partially because of credits for job growth which has attracted more businesses and larger employers over the years. Of the largest employers in Pennsylvania, eight out of the top ten are in Philadelphia with the City of Philadelphia itself being the third largest employer behind the University of Pennsylvania at number two and a few places ahead of the School District of Philadelphia at number ten. Within the City, the other largest employers include the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Temple University, and Comcast Cablevision Corp (PA). All of this is great news for our residents, but our workers’ compensation attorneys also know this brings an increased risk of workplace accidents. If you have questions, ask our workplace injury lawyer for help. Hablamos Español!
Compensation for Lost Wages in Philadelphia
If you have been injured in a workplace accident, you may be entitled to workers’ compensation payment to cover your lost wages. The type of benefits depends on whether you are fully or partially able to work. If you are completely unable to work, you may be entitled to temporary total disability benefits (TTD). Whereas if you are able to work only part-time, you may be entitled to receive temporary partial disability benefits (TPD). Oftentimes the insurance carrier will argue what your capabilities are, whether or not the doctors agree. This is why it is important to have a Philadelphia workers’ comp lawyer on your side.
How Much Can You Recover?
While workers’ compensation can help you recover lost wages, it unfortunately does not pay for all of your lost wages. Usually it is just two-thirds (2/3) of your average weekly wages, but there are exceptions. Pennsylvania law calculates your average weekly wages by examining your total gross income per week over the year. This is 52 weeks of salary that is broken down into four quarters, or 13-week segments. The total wages from the highest quarter of 13 weeks is then divided by 13 to calculate the average weekly wage.
Basic Example of Calculation
The notation of average weekly wages can be confusing which is why our workers’ comp attorney at Larry Pitt and Associates in Philadelphia wants you to understand how it can be used for your benefit. Suppose your salary was $52,000 last year. This easily may look like your average weekly wage calculation should be $1,000 a week. After all, there are 52 weeks in a year. But while it first appears this breaks down into $13,000 a quarter or $1,000 a week, this is only true if you earned the same salary all year. That does not always happen. If you earned income at a rate of $48,000 all year but got a raise in the fourth quarter to $52,000, that would mean the first three quarters all earned $12,000 each but the last quarter you earned $13,000. The average weekly wages could be based on the $13,000 per week, and not the $12,000 from the previous three quarters. Of course, that is reduced to two-thirds (2/3)
Maximum and Minimum Exceptions to Average Weekly Wages
However, calculating the amount of average weekly wages is not enough. Each year, Pennsylvania sets a rubric scale for the maximum and minimum scales. Generally, the more income that you make, the closer to a true two-thirds (2/3) of lost wages benefits that you will receive. Whereas the lower that you earn, the more likely that your benefits will be higher than two-thirds (2/3) and even up to 90% of your average weekly wages. For the year 2021, the maximum weekly compensation is $1,130.00. This means if you earned more than $1,695.00 a week (more than $88,140 a year), your reimbursement will be capped at $1,130.00 even if two-thirds (2/3) of your wages are higher. For individuals earning between $847.51 and $1,695.00 a week, your benefits will be two-thirds (2/3) of your average weekly wages. For individuals earning between $627.78 and $847.50 a week, your benefits will be a flat rate of $565.00. For individuals earning at the top of the range, that is roughly two-thirds (2/3). But for individuals earning at the bottom of that range, it is approximately 90% of their average weekly wages. For individuals earning less than $627.77, they receive 90% of their average weekly earnings.
Ask Our Workers’ Compensation Attorneys in Philadelphia for Help
After a workplace injury, the last thing you want to do is worry about calculating your lost wages. This is especially true if you have been severely injured, recovering from surgery, or even still hospitalized. Do not try to go it alone. Ask our experienced work injury attorney at Larry Pitt and Associates how we can protect your rights in Philadelphia, PA. We offer FREE consultations and our compassionate team is ready to answer your questions. Call (888)-PITT-LAW or (888)-748-8529, or use our convenient and easy-to-use contact us box available here. Se Habla Español (877) PITT-LEY or (877) 748-8539.
