Pennsylvania Workers’ Comp Maximum Weekly Wage Rate Increased for 2020
Most Pennsylvania employees who are injured on the job are eligible for workers’ compensation benefits. These benefits include wage loss replacement equalling two-thirds of the injured employee’s average weekly wage up to a certain amount. Recently the Department of Labor and Industry announced that the maximum compensation payable under Pennsylvania’s workers’ comp law will be increased to $1,081 per week for injuries sustained on and after January 1, 2020. For help ensuring that your wage loss benefit payments are calculated properly following your own work injury, please contact an experienced workers’ compensation lawyer who can assist you.
Workers’ Compensation Rate Schedules
Under Pennsylvania’s workers’ compensation laws, injured employees are entitled to wage loss benefits equalling two-thirds of their average weekly wage. These payments, however, cannot exceed certain predetermined amounts, which are set based on a maximum rate that is adjusted every year.
Calculating the Average Weekly Wage
The maximum rate for weekly wage replacement is calculated based on the statewide average weekly wage and the temporary total disability rate. Generally, the standard workers’ compensation rate ends up being two-thirds of the state’s average weekly wage, although this is not always the case. If, for instance, an injured worker earned a very high wage prior to his or her injury, it is possible that the rate at which that individual will be compensated could be limited by the maximum compensation rate. This would in turn mean that the injured employee would actually receive less than two-thirds of his or her regular weekly wage.
Calculating a person’s average weekly wage can be a complicated process, so it is not uncommon for a company’s workers’ compensation insurer to make mistakes when issuing wage replacement checks. For this reason, injured employees are often encouraged to consult with an experienced workers’ comp lawyer who can ensure that their benefits are not reduced due to an avoidable error, either on their part or the part of their employer’s insurer.
Maximum Wage Replacement Rate for 2020
This year’s maximum weekly compensation rate for injured employees was $1,049. Next year’s rate, on the other hand, is set to increase to $1,081 starting on January 1st, which represents an increase in the statewide average weekly wage of 3.1 percent. It’s important to note, however, that the new rate will only affect employees who are injured while on the job in the 2020 calendar year, as those who were injured before this date will be compensated at the average weekly wage rate that was in place when they were injured.
Call Today to Schedule a Free Case Review
If you were recently injured while on the job, you could be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits, including the partial replacement of your average weekly wage. To learn more about your own rights to compensation following a workplace injury, please contact dedicated Wilkes Barre workers’ compensation attorney Keith Figured at the Figured Law Firm by calling 570-954-9299. You can also reach a member of our legal team by completing and submitting one of our brief online contact forms today.
Resource:
dli.pa.gov/Individuals/Workers-Compensation/publications/Documents/libc-100.pdf
https://www.figuredlaw.com/which-employers-are-exempt-from-pennsylvanias-workers-compensation-laws/
