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Start With Certification, Not Advertising

Pennsylvania has a formal certification for this practice area. An attorney can be certified as a specialist in workers’ compensation law by the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Section on Workers’ Compensation Law, as authorized by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. It requires demonstrated experience, peer review and testing.

This matters more than any billboard. Workers’ compensation runs on its own statute, its own judges and its own procedural rules. A general personal injury firm that also takes comp cases is learning on your file.

At Gross & Kenny, LLP, Jeffrey S. Gross holds that certification. You can review the full team on our attorneys page before you commit to anyone.

Confirm They Represent Injured Workers Only

Some firms represent employers and insurance carriers on one side of the hallway and injured workers on the other. Ask directly. A firm that depends on carrier referrals has a reason to keep those carriers comfortable.

Ask what share of the practice is claimant-side workers’ compensation. If the answer is vague, that is your answer. Our firm overview states plainly which side we take.

Test Their Knowledge of the Procedural Traps

The cases that fall apart in Philadelphia usually fail on procedure, not on injury severity. When you choose a Philadelphia workers’ compensation lawyer, listen for whether they raise these unprompted:

• The 21-day and 120-day notice deadlines, and the three-year window covered on our statute of limitations page
• Whether your employer actually posted a valid panel physician list, which controls your first 90 days of treatment
• Whether the carrier issued a Temporary Notice of Compensation Payable, which lets them stop payments within 90 days without a hearing
• What happens when the carrier files a termination or suspension petition

A lawyer who walks you through those in the first conversation is thinking about your case. One who only asks how much you were making is thinking about the fee.

Understand the Fee Before You Sign Anything

Pennsylvania caps counsel fees in these cases at 20% of the amount awarded under Section 442 of the Workers’ Compensation Act, and a Workers’ Compensation Judge must approve the agreement in writing. That number is essentially uniform across the Commonwealth.

So price is not the differentiator. Anyone quoting you 20% is quoting you the statutory norm. What varies is whether the fee also applies to medical benefits, and whether case costs come out of your share. Get both in writing.

Ask Who Actually Handles Your File

Large-volume firms sign clients with an attorney and hand the file to a case manager you never met. Before you choose a Philadelphia workers’ compensation lawyer, ask which attorney appears at your hearings and whether you can reach that person directly.

Injured workers in Center City and South Philadelphia often tell us they went months without speaking to a lawyer at their previous firm. Read our client testimonials and look specifically for comments about responsiveness, not just outcomes.

Check Whether They Spot the Third-Party Case

This is where real money is won or lost. Workers’ compensation does not pay for pain and suffering. If someone other than your employer contributed to the injury, a subcontractor, a driver, a defective machine manufacturer, you may have a separate civil claim worth far more than the comp benefits.

A strong firm screens for this at intake. Read our page on third-party work injury claims in Philadelphia and ask any firm you interview how they evaluate it. Workers hurt on Northeast Philadelphia job sites and in Bustleton warehouses frequently have one and never learn it.

Red Flags Worth Walking Away From

Any one of these should stop you before you choose a Philadelphia workers’ compensation lawyer.

• A guaranteed settlement figure at the first meeting. Nobody can promise that
• Pressure to sign before you leave the office
• No discussion of the weaknesses in your claim
• Reluctance to explain how a claim petition actually proceeds
• No written fee agreement

Ten Questions to Ask Before You Sign

1. Are you certified as a specialist in Pennsylvania workers’ compensation law?
2. What percentage of your practice is claimant-side comp?
3. Do you ever represent employers or insurers?
4. Which attorney will appear at my hearings?
5. Does the 20% fee apply to medical benefits as well as wages?
6. Who pays case costs if we lose?
7. Do I have a possible third-party claim here?
8. What is the weakest part of my case?
9. How does my average weekly wage get calculated?
10. How quickly will someone return my call?

FAQs

Who is the best workers’ compensation lawyer in Philadelphia?

There is no single answer, and any firm claiming the title should be treated carefully. The defensible measure is objective credentials: certification as a specialist in Pennsylvania workers’ compensation law, a claimant-only practice, and verifiable results in front of Philadelphia judges. Compare those, not advertising volume.

How do I compare Philadelphia workers’ compensation law firms?

Compare four things: specialist certification, whether the firm ever represents insurers, which attorney personally handles hearings, and whether they screen for third-party claims. Fees will be nearly identical at 20%, so fees are rarely the deciding factor.

Do all Philadelphia workers’ comp attorneys charge the same fee?

Close to it. Section 442 of the Act caps counsel fees at 20% of the amount awarded and requires a judge to approve the agreement. Differences appear in whether the fee extends to medical benefits and how case costs are handled.

Can I switch lawyers in the middle of my workers’ comp claim?

Yes. You have the right to change counsel at any point. The judge will allocate the approved fee between the former and current attorney, so switching does not increase what you pay overall.

Does it cost anything to talk to a lawyer first?

No. Consultations at Gross & Kenny, LLP are free and confidential, and the fee only applies if benefits are recovered. Call 215-512-1500 or use our contact page.

Talk to a Certified Specialist Today

You get one shot at this claim. Before you choose a Philadelphia workers’ compensation lawyer, ask the questions above and compare the answers honestly.

Gross & Kenny, LLP has represented injured workers across Center City, South Philadelphia, Northeast Philadelphia and Bustleton for decades. Our office is at 1500 John F. Kennedy Boulevard, Suite 1450, Philadelphia, PA 19102. Call 215-512-1500 for a free consultation. Hablamos Español.