Should You Settle Your Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Case?
We are regularly asked about settlement proposals by a workers’ compensation carrier. Is it a good idea to settle when an offer is made?
To answer this question, we often explore a more fundamental question: Are medical treatments still going on or has medical care concluded with regard to your injury? It may be tempting to accept a monetary settlement that sounds large at the time. But doing so prematurely may leave you without enough money to pay for needed follow-up surgery or other treatments.
You can get answers by calling our office in Kingston at 570-714-3343 or in Hazleton at 570-535-3343. Our lawyer is a certified specialist* in Pennsylvania workers’ compensation law. He can help you decide whether a lump sum settlement is advisable for your situation.
A Settlement May Or May Not Be In Your Best Interest
If you can no longer work or suffered a permanent injury to part of your body as a result of a work injury, you may qualify for disability benefits. Under Pennsylvania law, you can opt to cash out your claim for a lump-sum settlement. The amount of the settlement will depend on the nature and extent of the injury and how much you were earning at the time of your injury.
When you receive a settlement, you are agreeing to close some or all of your claim. If you need ongoing treatment or your condition worsens, workers’ compensation may no longer be available to cover your medical expenses. However, depending on your individual situation, a settlement may make financial sense. Each case is very fact specific, and you should talk to an attorney CERTIFIED AS A WORKERS’ COMPENSATION SPECIALIST before making this important decision.
What If You Do Decide To Accept?
Please keep in mind a settlement is not designed to be a retirement plan! The smartest use of a settlement is often to go back to school or get retraining so you will be ready to accept an offer for a job you are able to perform in spite of lingering disabilities caused by the work injury.
Our Attorney Can Provide Reliable Answers
Every person and set of circumstances is unique. You deserve personalized answers to your questions about settlement offers, return-to-work options and more. You can get answers to your questions about workers’ compensation in Pennsylvania by calling our law offices in Kingston at 570-714-3343, in Hazleton at 570-535-3343 to arrange a free consultation, or by contacting us online.
At Belt Law Firm, P.C., we answer questions for clients throughout northeastern Pennsylvania in communities such as Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Hazleton and others.
* Timothy D. Belt is certified as a specialist in the practice of workers’ compensation law by the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Section on Workers’ Compensation Law as authorized by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.