Your health comes first. If you’re seriously injured, get emergency medical treatment immediately. Even if your injury seems minor, it’s still important to get checked out by a medical professional and follow all treatment recommendations.

Report the injury to your employer as soon as possible.

While under Pennsylvania law, you must notify your employer within 120 days from the injury—yet the sooner, the better when it comes to providing notice to your employer of your injury. Verbal notice is allowed, but written notice is strongly recommended to avoid disputes. Tell your supervisor what happened, when, where, and how.

Read our Workers’ Comp FAQ for more on reporting deadlines

Before memories fade or the scene changes, try to collect:

• If you can, photos of where and how the injury occurred
• Names and contact info of any coworkers who witnessed the incident
• A personal log of your symptoms and doctor visits
• Copies of medical reports or discharge summaries

Documentation can make a huge difference if your employer or their insurance company later questions your claim.

After reporting your injury, make sure your employer files a First Report of Injury (FROI) with the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation. If they fail to do this—or deny your injury—you will need to file a Claim Petition to pursue benefits.

If you’re not sure whether your employer has reported the injury properly, it’s time to speak with us, having an experienced workers’ comp attorney in your corner is priceless. We can step in and ensure the process is moving in the right direction.

Learn more about appealing a denied claim and in us filing a claim petition.

As an injured worker in Pennsylvania, you are entitled to:

• Medical treatment paid by your employer’s workers' comp insurance
• A portion or all of of your lost wages if you can’t work
• Specific loss payments for permanent damage/loss of use
• Death benefits for family members (in fatal cases)

Be cautious. Don’t sign any papers or any type of agreement with the insurance company/adjuster without legal advice. What you say can be used to reduce or even deny your claim.

Speak with an experienced work injury attorney right away.

Even with all good intentions on your part, workers can make decisions that hurt their case. Avoid:

• Delaying your injury report (it can disqualify you from benefits)
• Skipping follow-up medical appointments
• Returning to work before you're medically cleared
• Quitting your job without talking to a lawyer
• Assuming your employer or HR is looking out for your best interest

At Vellner Law, we regularly speak with workers who thought they could handle the claim themselves—until something went wrong. The earlier we’re involved, the more we can do to protect your rights, explain your options, and prevent delays or denials and get you the maximum outcome for your injury.

Our consultations are free, and you pay nothing unless we recover benefits for you.

See how we handle on-the-job accident cases