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Harrisburg is a working capital. Beyond the dome on the hill, the region runs on state employees and road crews, the nurses and aides at UPMC Central PA and Penn State Health, the drivers and pickers who keep central Pennsylvania’s warehouses moving along Interstate 81 and Interstate 83, and the hospitality and amusement workers who power the Hershey area. When a job injury stops you from earning, the law says you are owed medical care and part of your wages. Getting the workers’ compensation insurance company to actually pay is another matter.
That is where Pond Lehocky comes in. From our office on North Front Street, our Harrisburg workers’ compensation lawyers represent injured workers and the families who depend on them, and we never work for insurers.
A Firm Built to Take on the Workers’ Compensation Insurance Companies
Workers’ compensation insurance carriers handle thousands of claims a year and have the adjusters and attorneys to match. You deserve a team with at least that much firepower. Pond Lehocky is one of the largest workers’ compensation and disability firms in the country, and fighting for injured workers is all we do. Injured workers come to us because they trust us. Here’s why:
- More than 250 years of combined legal experience across our team.
- Over 100,000 successful cases and billions of dollars recovered for our clients.
- Recognition on the U.S. News and World Report Best Law Firms list, with attorneys named to Best Lawyers in America and Super Lawyers.
- Our own medical team will help coordinate your care and make sure your injuries are evaluated honestly.
- No fee unless we win, so it costs nothing to find out where you stand.
We also take the time to know you as a person, not a file number. You can read more about what drives us and the results we pursue for injured workers.
Workers’ Compensation Cases Are Decided Right Here in the Capital
Few cities have a closer connection to workers’ compensation than Harrisburg, because this is where the whole Pennsylvania system is run. The Bureau of Workers’ Compensation and the Workers’ Compensation Office of Adjudication are headquartered on North 7th Street, the Workers’ Compensation Appeal Board sits on Boas Street, and the Commonwealth Court that hears the next level of appeals meets here as well.
For local workers, that means your case stays close to home. Contested Dauphin County claims are generally heard by a workers’ compensation judge at the Harrisburg hearing office in the East Gate Center at 1010 North 7th Street, where the judge takes testimony, reviews the medical evidence, and issues a decision. We appear in these venues regularly, and knowing how the judges and the board tend to approach a case is part of what we bring to yours.
The Jobs Behind Harrisburg’s Work Injuries
The Commonwealth is the region’s largest employer, but Harrisburg’s economy reaches well past government into healthcare, freight, manufacturing, and tourism. Different work carries different hazards, and tying your injury to your specific duties is often what makes or breaks a claim. We regularly help Harrisburg workers hurt in:
- Public sector and roadside work. Corrections officers, PennDOT crews, and maintenance staff face assaults, vehicle strikes, falls, and repetitive strain.
- Healthcare. Staff at UPMC Central PA, Penn State Health, Geisinger, and area clinics deal with lifting injuries, needlesticks, exposure to illness, and workplace violence.
- Warehouse and freight. Along the Interstate 81 and 83 corridor, distribution and trucking jobs lead to lifting injuries, forklift accidents, falls, and highway crashes.
- Manufacturing. Plants across the midstate expose workers to machinery injuries, burns, hearing loss, and repetitive trauma.
- Hospitality and entertainment. Hotel, restaurant, and amusement workers in the Hershey area handle slips, lifting strain, and kitchen or ride-related injuries.
Sudden accidents are only part of the picture. Many workplace injuries build up over time, and occupational illnesses that develop after years on the job can support a claim too.
What Your Disability Benefits Claim Can Pay
Pennsylvania workers’ compensation is meant to replace part of your lost wages and cover the medical care your injury requires, no matter who was at fault. Wage loss benefits generally equal two-thirds of your average weekly wage, up to a statewide ceiling that rises each January.
For injuries in 2026, the maximum is $1,394 per week, an increase from $1,347 in 2025. Since the size of every check flows from your average weekly wage, insurers often figure it on the low side and leave out overtime and bonuses that should count.
Beyond wage loss, a claim can cover reasonable and necessary medical treatment, specific loss awards for the permanent loss of a body part or its use, and death benefits for the families of workers who do not come home. We press on every category that applies, so nothing you are owed slips through.
What to Do After a Work Injury in Harrisburg
A few early moves protect both your health and your claim. Report the injury to your employer in writing as soon as you are able. Notice given within 21 days lets your workers’ compensation benefits date back to the injury itself, and waiting beyond 120 days can end a claim before it begins.
Get medical care promptly. If your employer posted a valid list of providers and you signed for it, your first 90 days of treatment may need to come from that list, after which you choose your own doctor. Hold on to every report, bill, and receipt.
From there, your employer should notify its insurer, which then has 21 days to accept the claim, deny it, or start temporary payments. A denial is not the end of the story. A Harrisburg workers’ comp lawyer can file a claim petition for you, and in most cases, you have three years from the date of injury to do so. The earlier a lawyer steps in, the easier it is to protect your deadlines and gather the proof your case needs.
Visit the Workers’ Comp Lawyers at Our Harrisburg Office
Our Harrisburg office sits along the Susquehanna riverfront at 105 to 107 N. Front Street, Suite 114, a short walk from the Capitol complex and the downtown courts. You can reach the team at 717-409-6947, and we keep weekday hours from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Walk-ins are welcome. If your injury makes travel difficult, we can meet you at home or in the hospital, and many parts of a case can now be handled by phone or video.
Harrisburg Workers’ Compensation Claim Process FAQ
Below are questions we hear often from Harrisburg workers. For more, see our workers’ compensation FAQ or reach out directly.
Can state and other government employees get workers’ comp?
Yes. State workers, county and city employees, and most other public sector workers in Pennsylvania are covered, just like private sector employees. The process and the deadlines work the same way.
Our office has helped state and government employees with their workers’ compensation claims.
How long do I have to act on a workers’ compensation claim?
You generally have three years from the date of injury to file a claim petition, though notice to your employer should come much sooner, within 21 days when possible. If a judge denies your claim, you have only 20 days from that decision to appeal to the Workers’ Compensation Appeal Board, so timing matters at every stage. It’s a good idea to do things sooner rather than later.
Do I have to seek treatment from my employer’s doctor if I was injured on the job?
Only for a limited time, and only if the rules were followed. When an employer properly posts a list of providers, and you acknowledge it in writing, you may need to use that list for your first 90 days of care. After that, the choice of doctor is yours.
If you have questions, ask your employer about their rules.
The insurer wants me to attend a medical exam. Are they allowed to demand medical treatment?
Insurers can request an independent medical examination, but the doctor they hire often downplays your injury to justify cutting benefits. We prepare you for these exams and challenge findings that do not match your real condition.
What will it cost to hire a workers’ compensation attorney at Pond Lehocky?
Nothing to begin. We work on a contingency basis, commonly 20 percent of what we recover, and that fee has to be approved by a workers’ compensation judge. If we do not win, you owe no fee.
Contact a Harrisburg Workers’ Compensation Lawyer for a Free Consultation on How to Seek Workers’ Comp Benefits
A work injury can upend your finances and your future in a matter of seconds. You do not have to sort it out alone, and you do not have to face the insurance company without help. With deep roots in Pennsylvania’s workers’ compensation system and a record built over decades, Pond Lehocky is ready to step in.
Reach out online to our Harrisburg workers’ compensation attorneys for your free consultation. There is no fee unless we win fair compensation for you.
