Montgomery County Workers Comp Law

The days before worker comp law

Before the advent of workers compensation laws, people in the United States who were hurt during the course of their work bore the responsibility of dealing with their injuries.  However, as the Industrial Revolution shifted our nation from an agrarian, country-dwelling population to one that lived in the city and worked in factories, attitudes concerning worker rights changed dramatically.  In years past, a family farm provided the means of subsistence.  But a person who relied on factory work and was injured on the job was unable to earn a wage, which then imposed a burden on families and society at large.

Prelude to workers comp law

In the 1880s, an injured worker could sue an employer, but their rights were still limited. The burden of proof was considerable, with an injured worker having to show that not only was the employer negligent, but also that the injured worker was not negligent.  Despite the barriers in receiving compensation, if a worker was successful, he or she could receive large amounts of money. 

However, because there were no limits to these amounts, some businesses were at risk of falling into economic ruin due to employee litigation.  And because the emerging American economy was based on economic enterprise, there needed to be laws that protected companies from failing, but that also ensured adequate benefits for injured workers.

Modern worker comp law

In 1911, Wisconsin became the first state to pass comprehensive worker compensation laws.  Pennsylvania followed suit in 1915 when the state established the Pennsylvania Workers Compensation Act.  The Act addressed the major deficiencies in previous worker compensation laws and struck a compromise between employers and employees.  Workers gained the right to receive prompt payment for wage loss and medical expenses without having to prove that their employer was negligent.

Employers benefited because the amount of money they had to pay an injured worker was henceforth limited in terms of the amount and duration of compensation, and they could not be sued by an employee for additional pain and suffering.

Today, all Pennsylvania workers, with very limited exceptions, are protected under the Workers Compensation Act.  Employers must carry worker compensation insurance that protects workers from the day they begin working, and even includes most work-related injuries that occur in another state.  For a complete breakdown of your rights as a Pennsylvania worker, you should speak with a worker compensation attorney in Montgomery County.

For help with Montgomery County workers compensation, contact Larry Pitt

Please contact the law firm of Larry Pitt & Associates at 888-PITT-LAW or fill out the consultation form on this website for more information about workers compensation.  Larry Pitt & Associates helps clients with workers compensation issues in Berks, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery & Philadelphia Counties in Pennsylvania.