Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Serving PA, NJ, NY & MD

An on-the-job injury can unravel a family’s finances in a matter of weeks. Wages stop. Medical bills arrive. Bosses and insurance adjusters start asking questions that seem designed to catch you in a contradiction. At Siddons Law Firm, our workers’ compensation attorneys represent injured workers across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and Maryland — people who did nothing wrong except show up to work and get hurt. We know the playbook insurers use to minimize claims, and we know how to push back.

If you have been injured at work, you are entitled to workers’ compensation benefits regardless of fault. What you actually collect, however, often comes down to whether you have a lawyer willing to take the claim seriously. Call us for a free case review before you sign anything the insurer puts in front of you.

Key Takeaways

• Workers’ compensation is a no-fault system — you do not need to prove your employer was negligent to receive benefits.
• Benefits typically include wage-loss payments, medical care, specific-loss compensation, and death benefits for surviving dependents.
• Deadlines vary by state: Pennsylvania gives injured workers three years to file, New Jersey gives two, New York gives two, and Maryland gives two — but notice must be given to your employer within days, not years.
• Claim denials, Independent Medical Examinations (IMEs), and vocational “transferable skills” evaluations are where insurers most often cut benefits. Each is a point where legal counsel makes a measurable difference.
• A third-party claim — against a negligent contractor, equipment manufacturer, or property owner — can run alongside your workers’ comp claim and often produces the bulk of a worker’s total recovery.
• At Siddons Law Firm we never charge a fee unless we recover compensation for you.

What Is Workers’ Compensation?

Workers’ compensation is a state-mandated insurance program that pays benefits to employees injured or made ill because of their job. In exchange for a guaranteed benefit paid without the employee having to prove fault, most employees give up the right to sue their employer directly. Every state in our coverage area — Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and Maryland — requires nearly all employers to carry workers’ compensation insurance.

The trade-off is supposed to work in the injured worker’s favor: faster benefits, less litigation, and medical care without debate. In practice, insurers have become increasingly aggressive about contesting claims, scheduling defense-friendly medical exams, terminating wage benefits early, and pressuring injured workers into lump-sum settlements that undervalue long-term medical needs. The statutes are technical. The deadlines are short. And once you make a mistake, the system rarely gives you a second chance to fix it.

Who Qualifies for Workers’ Compensation Benefits?

Most W-2 employees in PA, NJ, NY, and MD are covered from their first day on the job. That includes full-time, part-time, and seasonal workers. You qualify for benefits if:

• Your injury arose out of and in the course of your employment;
• You reported the injury to your employer within the state’s notice window (21 days in PA, as soon as practicable but no later than 14 days in NJ, 30 days in NY, 10 days in MD);
• You filed a formal claim petition or notice of injury within the statute of limitations (generally 2–3 years depending on the state).

Coverage also extends to repetitive-stress and occupational-disease conditions — carpal tunnel syndrome, rotator cuff tears, back injuries from cumulative lifting, hearing loss, asbestos exposure, and COVID-related claims in certain front-line industries. The clock on these claims usually starts when you are diagnosed and told the condition is work-related, not when the underlying exposure began.

Independent contractors are a frequent gray zone. Employers sometimes misclassify workers as 1099 contractors to avoid paying workers’ comp premiums. If you were told you were an independent contractor but your employer controlled your schedule, tools, and supervision, you may still be entitled to benefits. Our attorneys routinely litigate misclassification in PA and NY, which both use a multi-factor control test. New Jersey does not draw the same distinction and treats most workers as employees for WC purposes.

What Benefits Can You Receive?

Workers’ compensation benefits fall into four broad categories. The dollar amounts and formulas differ by state, but the structure is similar across our coverage area.

1. Wage-Loss (Indemnity) Benefits

Wage-loss benefits replace a portion of your pre-injury wages while you are unable to work. The standard formula is roughly two-thirds of your average weekly wage, subject to a state-set maximum. Pennsylvania’s maximum in 2026 is $1,325 per week; New Jersey’s is capped at 75% of the statewide average weekly wage; New York’s maximum is currently $1,171.46; Maryland’s is set annually by the Maryland Workers’ Compensation Commission. Wage-loss benefits are generally non-taxable at the federal and state level.

2. Medical Benefits

All four states cover reasonable and necessary medical treatment related to the work injury — doctor visits, surgery, physical therapy, prescriptions, assistive devices, and mileage reimbursement. The key distinction is who picks the doctor. In Pennsylvania, your employer may require you to use a posted list of panel providers for the first 90 days, after which you can treat with any physician. New Jersey is the strictest: the employer’s insurer generally controls your choice of treating physician throughout the claim. New York allows you to select your own physician from a list authorized by the Workers’ Compensation Board. Maryland gives the worker free choice of physician from the outset.

3. Specific-Loss and Permanent Impairment Benefits

If you permanently lose the use of a body part — a finger, hand, arm, leg, eye, or hearing — you are entitled to a specific number of weeks of compensation set by statute. A disfigurement or scar to the face, head, or neck also triggers specific compensation. Pennsylvania additionally uses the Impairment Rating Evaluation (IRE) system to transition workers from total to partial disability status after 104 weeks of benefits.

4. Death and Survivor Benefits

If a work injury or occupational disease causes a worker’s death, surviving spouses and dependent children receive weekly wage-replacement benefits plus funeral expense reimbursement. Death benefit durations vary: PA pays a surviving spouse for life or until remarriage; NJ pays for 450 weeks and then re-evaluates; NY pays for the spouse’s lifetime with dependent-child supplements; MD pays a set amount that is adjusted by the Commission.

State-by-State: Worker’s Comp Across Our Coverage Area

Workers’ comp statutes are state-specific, and a case that would be straightforward in one jurisdiction can be hotly contested in another. Below is a short orientation. For detail, see our dedicated state pages.

• Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation — Governed by the Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Act. Key features: panel-provider rule for the first 90 days, IRE transition at 104 weeks, three-year statute of limitations, choice of physician after the panel period.
• New Jersey Workers’ Compensation — Governed by the New Jersey Workers’ Compensation Act. Key features: employer-directed medical care throughout, two-year statute of limitations from the date of the last medical treatment or last compensation payment, mandatory mediation before trial, strong protection against retaliatory discharge.
• New York Workers’ Compensation — Governed by the New York Workers’ Compensation Law. Key features: two-year statute of limitations, worker’s choice of authorized physician, Schedule Loss of Use (SLU) awards for permanent partial impairments, caps on permanent partial disability benefits.
• Maryland Workers’ Compensation — Governed by Title 9 of the Maryland Labor and Employment Article. Key features: worker’s free choice of physician, two-year statute of limitations, permanent partial disability based on percentage of impairment, award conversion to lump sum available by petition.

Common Workplace Injuries We Handle

Our workers’ compensation attorneys have recovered benefits and settlements for every category of workplace injury. A few of the most common include:

• Back and spinal injuries — herniated discs, lumbar strain, spinal cord injury. Often the result of lifting, falls, or repetitive bending.
• Shoulder and rotator cuff tears — frequent in warehouse, construction, and healthcare work; often mischaracterized by insurers as pre-existing.
• Repetitive stress injuries (RSI) — carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis, epicondylitis, trigger finger. These develop over time and require careful documentation.
• Knee injuries — meniscus tears, ACL injuries, and patellar tendon damage from falls, heavy lifting, and kneeling.
• Head and traumatic brain injuries (TBI) — concussions, post-concussion syndrome, and severe TBIs from falls, falling objects, and vehicle accidents on the job.
• Occupational hearing loss — cumulative noise exposure in manufacturing, shipyards, and construction.
• Burn and electrocution injuries — high-voltage contact, arc flashes, chemical burns, and fire-related injuries.
• Occupational disease — asbestos-related conditions (including mesothelioma), silicosis, chemical exposure illnesses, and respiratory disease.

High-Risk Industries & Occupations

Workplace injuries are not distributed evenly. Certain industries produce the majority of serious claims and involve specialized statutes, federal overlays, and insurer playbooks. We represent workers from:

• Construction — falls from height, scaffold collapses, trenching, struck-by-object, and crane-related injuries. Third-party claims against general contractors and subcontractors are common.
• Healthcare — nurses, CNAs, techs, and hospital staff face lifting injuries, needlesticks, violent-patient encounters, and exposure claims.
• Warehouse & logistics — Amazon, FedEx, UPS, and regional distribution centers. Common claims: forklift incidents, crush injuries, back and shoulder strain, and repetitive-motion injuries.
• Manufacturing — caught-in-machinery, amputations, chemical exposure, and cumulative-trauma cases.
• First responders — police, fire, and EMS workers with presumptive coverage for certain cancers, PTSD, and cardiac conditions.
• Trucking & transportation — truck drivers and delivery workers injured in crashes, loading-dock incidents, and cumulative back/shoulder injuries. See also our Trucking Accidents hub for third-party claims.

When Your Claim Is Denied, Delayed, or Cut Off

Most contested workers’ comp cases turn on one of four insurer moves. Knowing what to expect puts you in a stronger position.

Outright Denial

The insurer may deny the claim on the ground that the injury did not occur at work, was not reported in time, or is a pre-existing condition. A Notice of Denial in PA, a Controversy Notice in NJ, or a Form C-7 in NY starts the contested case. You typically have a limited window to file an appeal or claim petition — missing it means losing the case on procedure, regardless of the medical merits.

Independent Medical Examination (IME/DME)

Your employer’s insurer can require you to attend an examination by a physician they select. The doctor’s report is often the basis for suspending wage benefits or contesting medical treatment. IMEs are not neutral; a small group of physicians receive the vast majority of defense work, and their conclusions are predictable. Our firm has deposed many of these doctors and knows how to challenge their findings.

Impairment Rating Evaluation (PA-specific)

After 104 weeks of total-disability benefits in Pennsylvania, the insurer can request an IRE. If the examining physician assigns an impairment rating below the statutory threshold (35% whole-person impairment under current law), your status automatically converts from total to partial disability, capping wage benefits at 500 additional weeks. IREs are a central battleground in PA practice and must be challenged aggressively where appropriate.

Vocational and “Transferable Skills” Evaluations

Insurers retain vocational consultants to identify jobs they claim you are physically capable of doing. If the consultant finds a theoretical job that pays close to your pre-injury wage, the insurer can reduce benefits based on that “earning power” even if the job does not exist in your area. These evaluations are highly technical and routinely challenged.

Third-Party Claims: The Other Half of the Recovery

Workers’ compensation is not your only option. If someone other than your employer caused or contributed to your injury — a subcontractor on a construction site, the manufacturer of defective equipment, a negligent driver of a delivery truck, or a property owner who failed to maintain safe conditions — you may bring a separate personal injury lawsuit against them. Third-party claims allow recovery of pain and suffering, full lost wages (not just two-thirds), and other damages that workers’ comp does not cover.

In many serious cases, the third-party recovery dwarfs the workers’ comp benefits. The two claims must be coordinated carefully — the workers’ comp insurer has a subrogation lien against the third-party recovery — and that is exactly the kind of coordination our firm handles routinely. See our Personal Injury and Bad Faith Insurance pages for related claim types.

Why Choose Siddons Law Firm for Your Workers’ Comp Case?

Workers’ compensation is one of the most technically dense areas of law in the Mid-Atlantic. Siddons Law Firm brings four things every injured worker needs: a lawyer who actually returns your calls, trial-tested experience across PA, NJ, NY, and MD, coordination between your comp claim and any third-party lawsuit, and a contingency fee structure that means you pay nothing unless we recover for you. We built this practice because we saw too many injured workers accepting early settlements that fell short of what they deserved. That is not how we operate.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How long do I have to report a work injury to my employer?

Report the injury as soon as possible, and always in writing. Pennsylvania allows up to 120 days, but waiting that long is a mistake — benefits are backdated only from the date of notice, and delayed reporting invites denial. New Jersey requires notice as soon as practicable, no later than 14 days in most cases. New York requires written notice within 30 days. Maryland requires notice within 10 days for accidental injuries. When in doubt, report today.

2. Do I have to use the doctor my employer chooses?

It depends on the state. In Pennsylvania you must use a posted panel of providers for the first 90 days; after that you are free to select any physician. In New Jersey, the employer’s insurer generally controls your choice of treating doctor throughout the claim — a major point of friction that often requires legal pressure to change. In New York you can choose any physician authorized by the Workers’ Compensation Board. In Maryland you have free choice of physician from the start.

3. What happens if my claim is denied?

A denial is not the end of the case. You have the right to appeal by filing a claim petition (PA), a formal Claim Petition (NJ), a C-3 Employee Claim (NY), or an Employee’s Claim Form (MD). A workers’ comp judge will hear evidence, review medical records, and decide the case. Most denied claims that reach hearing are resolved by settlement or by the judge awarding benefits. The insurer is counting on you not appealing — do not give them the satisfaction.

4. Can I be fired for filing a workers’ compensation claim?

All four states prohibit retaliatory discharge for filing a workers’ comp claim. If your employer fires, demotes, or reduces the hours of an injured worker because of the claim, you may have a separate wrongful-termination or retaliation case on top of the workers’ comp claim. Document everything: emails, texts, performance reviews, and the timing of adverse actions relative to the injury report.

5. How much is my workers’ comp case worth?

Case value depends on four variables: the severity and permanence of the injury, your pre-injury wage, your ability to return to the same or comparable work, and the defensibility of the claim on causation. A straightforward back strain that resolves in six weeks is worth very little as a settlement. A shoulder tear that requires surgery, limits you permanently, and ends your career in a physical trade can be worth six figures in PA, more if there is a third-party claim. Never accept a lump-sum settlement without first understanding what you are giving up.

6. Do I need a lawyer for a workers’ comp claim?

Not always. If your injury is minor, reported promptly, and accepted by the insurer, you may receive benefits without incident. You need a lawyer if any of the following happen: your claim is denied or delayed, the insurer schedules an IME, your wage-loss benefits are terminated or reduced, you are offered a settlement, your doctor says you can return to work and you disagree, or you have a serious injury with long-term consequences. Consultations are free — there is no downside to calling.

7. What if my injury happened over time rather than in one accident?

Repetitive-stress and occupational-disease claims are fully compensable in PA, NJ, NY, and MD. The statute of limitations runs from the date you knew (or reasonably should have known) that the condition was work-related — typically the date of a doctor’s diagnosis linking it to work. These cases require careful medical documentation and often expert testimony. Do not assume a cumulative injury is not covered just because there was no single accident.

8. Can I collect workers’ comp and Social Security Disability at the same time?

Yes. Workers’ comp and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) are separate programs, and many injured workers qualify for both. The combined benefits cannot exceed 80% of your pre-injury average current earnings, however; when they would, SSDI is offset. Careful structuring of a workers’ comp settlement can minimize the SSDI offset and maximize your lifetime recovery. Our attorneys work with clients’ SSDI counsel to coordinate both claims.

Speak with a Workers’ Compensation Lawyer Today

If you have been injured at work anywhere in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, or Maryland, contact Siddons Law Firm for a free, no-obligation case evaluation. We will review the facts, explain your options in plain English, and take the case if it is right for our firm — with no fee unless we win. Call us, submit the form on this page, or use the chat widget to get started.