Threats To Your Workers Compensation Benefits

Termination of Workers' Comp

The attorneys at Dugan & Associates can help you if you're facing the termination or reduction of your workers' compensation payments. Give us a call in Pittsburgh for a free initial consultation about your options if you've received a notice that your benefits might change for the worse.

Your workers' comp insurance carrier might notify you of its intention to stop or reduce your benefits under circumstances such as the following:

• An insurance doctor clears you to return to work after an independent medical evaluation (IME)
• Your employer offers you light-duty or modified-duty employment, and you refuse the offer
• The workers' comp insurer claims that you've made a full recovery
• A utilization review request

In any of these situations, our workers' comp attorneys can represent you before a Bureau of Workers Compensation Judge on the employer's or insurer's petition to terminate, suspend, or modify benefits. We can present the facts of your medical condition and vocational capacity so as to attempt to maximize the chance that your benefits will continue.

In cases where total disability payments have been made for the 104-week maximum, the employer can require the employee to undergo an Impairment Rating Evaluation (IRE). One of our Pittsburgh attorneys can represent you at this hearing. We try to make sure that your benefits are not suspended before you can go back to work.

For partially disabled employees, the employer can request a hearing to determine the employee's earning capacity given the extent of the partial disability, the employee's vocational characteristics, and the general availability in the local job market of work that the employee can perform.

For additional information about our ability to protect your interests when you've received notice of a petition for termination, suspension, or modification of workers' comp benefits, contact a Pittsburgh workers' compensation lawyer at Dugan & Associates.