When Maryland introduced America’s first workers’ compensation statute in 1902, the rights of injured workers were on the verge of changing forever. While Massachusetts, Montana and New York quickly followed suit, it was Wisconsin in 1911 that became the first state to successfully effectuate workers’ compensation law to pass constitutional muster. Only a few years later, in 1915, Pennsylvania enacted its Workers’ Compensation Act in an effort to protect injured workers and their employers from the devastating effects of injuries at the workplace. However, in doing so, employees relinquished their constitutional right to sue their employers in civil court in exchange for what was supposed to be the automatic receipt of medical bills and lost wages provided by their employers.
While some of the current trends in Pennsylvania workers’ compensation law appear to ignore the humanitarian framework of the act, the significant tradeoff made by injured workers and the rights they surrendered must never be forgotten. In fact, the Commonwealth Court has continually reminded us that the Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Act is remedial in nature and intended to benefit the injured worker, and therefore must be liberally construed to accomplish its humanitarian objectives, as in Peterson v. Workers’ Compensation Appeal Board (PRN Nursing Agency), 597 A.2d 1116 (Pa. 1991). Accordingly, when issues arise in a workers’ compensation matter, the evidence must be construed in the light most favorable to the injured worker.
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