Proposed PA House Bill 930 Would Expand Coverage to Permanently Disfigured Workers

House Bill 930, formerly House Bill 2061, has been reintroduced by State Representative Dawkins. The Bill, which passed the House on May 2, 2023, was referred to Labor & Industry in April and amended the state’s Workers’ Compensation Act by expanding the benefits for permanent disfigurement. Workers’ Compensation benefits would cover scars below the neck, increase benefit maximums from 275 to 400 weeks, and allow payment of the scar benefit to run concurrently with total or partial disability benefits.

Many Pennsylvania workers have been permanently scarred or disfigured on the job and were not eligible for Workers’ Compensation. The current law only covers workers with severe or permanent head, neck, or facial disfigurement. This law would allow for disfigurement (scars, burns, etc.) anywhere in the body.

Pennsylvania workers should be provided coverage for disfigurement regardless of where it occurs on their bodies. Bodily injuries that may not be visible under normal circumstances can still cause substantial physical and emotional distress.

The reintroduced legislation aims to resolve this oversight in the Workers’ Compensation Act to ensure that seriously or permanently disfigured workers receive the benefits they need and deserve.

Currently, disfigurement benefits are to be paid after disability benefits are paid. Here, it allows the benefits to be paid at the same time.

Galfand Berger urges workers throughout Pennsylvania to call their legislators and request that they approve these important changes to Workers’ Compensation benefits.

Our Philadelphia Workers’ Compensation lawyers at Galfand Berger LLP stay on the cutting edge of all new laws to provide the best possible representation. Call 800-222-USWA (8792) or contact us online to schedule a free consultation. Located in Philadelphia, Reading, Bethlehem, and Lancaster, Pennsylvania, we serve clients in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, including Allentown and Harrisburg.