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Berks County has one of the highest concentrations of manufacturing employment in Pennsylvania. The food processing plants, metal fabrication shops, automotive parts suppliers, and plastics manufacturers clustered along the I-78 and US-422 corridors employ tens of thousands of workers in jobs that carry real physical risk every day. Reading Hospital and Penn State Health St. Joseph Medical Center anchor a large healthcare workforce. Construction activity is expanding throughout the county. Retail and distribution workers line the commercial corridors in and around Reading and Wyomissing. And agricultural workers on Berks County farms face some of the most physically demanding and underprotected working conditions in the state.
What all of these workers share is the same experience when they get hurt on the job. Their employer and the insurance company move quickly to limit what they pay, challenge the extent of the injury, and push workers back to work before they are ready. At Lerner, Steinberg and Associates, we have spent over 34 years representing injured workers throughout Pennsylvania, including Berks County. We know the industries, the claims process, and the tactics insurers use in this region. When you call us, you get attorneys who will fight for every benefit you are entitled to under Pennsylvania law.
Contact Lerner Steinberg & Associates today by filling out our free consultation form or calling 215-714-1500 to discuss your case and learn how we can help you secure the compensation you deserve.
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Berks County’s insurance carriers are experienced at using the Pennsylvania workers’ compensation system to delay payments, challenge medical treatment, and limit what injured workers receive. Our job is to make sure that does not happen to you. When you hire us, we:
Berks County's manufacturing sector sets it apart from the rest of southeastern Pennsylvania. The food processing plants, metal fabrication facilities, automotive parts suppliers, and plastics manufacturers clustered along the I-78 and US-422 corridors employ tens of thousands of workers in physically demanding jobs where machinery accidents, repetitive stress injuries, chemical exposure, and crush injuries occur at rates far above the state average. These are jobs where workers are on their feet all day, operating equipment that can and does cause serious harm, and where employers frequently push injured workers back to work before they are fully recovered.
Healthcare workers at Reading Hospital and Penn State Health St. Joseph Medical Center face patient handling injuries, slip and falls, and needle sticks. Construction workers are building out residential and commercial developments across the county. Retail and distribution workers line the commercial corridors around Reading and Wyomissing. Agricultural workers on Berks County farms face some of the most physically dangerous conditions in any industry, with employers who routinely challenge whether workers' compensation coverage even applies. In every one of these sectors, the workers who get hurt need someone who will fight for them.
Berks County's food processing, metal fabrication, automotive, and plastics facilities produce some of the highest workplace injury rates in Pennsylvania. Machinery accidents, crush injuries, chemical burns, and repetitive stress injuries are all fully compensable under Pennsylvania law.
Nurses, CNAs, and patient care staff at Reading Hospital, Penn State Health St. Joseph, and other Berks County facilities face patient handling injuries, slip and falls, and needle sticks. All are covered under Pennsylvania workers' compensation.
Active residential and commercial development across Reading, Wyomissing, Exeter Township, and throughout the county means construction injuries are common. Falls from heights, electrocutions, and equipment accidents can permanently change a worker's life.
Farm workers in Berks County face machinery accidents, falls, heat-related illness, and chemical exposure. Pennsylvania workers' compensation law covers most farm workers, though employers frequently dispute coverage. We know how to fight those challenges.
Workers along the I-78 and US-422 corridors face overexertion, repetitive stress injuries, and equipment accidents. Many develop gradually over months of work and are still fully compensable under Pennsylvania law.
Custodians, maintenance staff, bus drivers, and teachers across Reading, Governor Mifflin, Muhlenberg, Wilson, and other Berks County districts are injured more often than most people realize. Self-insured districts frequently resist legitimate claims.
We represent Berks County workers suffering from all types of workplace injuries, including:
We represent injured workers across all of Berks County’s major industries, with significant experience helping:
Most Berks County workers have no idea how much they are actually entitled to under Pennsylvania’s workers’ compensation system until they sit down with an attorney. The system provides more than just a check while you recover.
Every reasonable and necessary medical expense related to your work injury must be covered by your employer’s insurance, with no dollar cap and no time limit as long as the treatment is connected to your injury. This includes emergency care, surgeries, specialist visits, physical therapy, prescription medications, medical equipment, and transportation to appointments. The catch is that for the first 90 days after your injury, your employer controls which doctors you see. Choosing the wrong doctor, one who minimizes your injuries or releases you too early, can devastate your claim. We help our clients navigate this from day one.
Pennsylvania calculates your weekly benefit at roughly two-thirds of your average weekly wage before the injury, subject to a 2024 maximum of $1,325 per week. For workers on the lower end of the wage scale, the percentage can be as high as 90%. These benefits come in several forms depending on how your injury affects your ability to work:
When a Berks County worker dies from a work-related injury or occupational disease, their surviving spouse and dependents are entitled to ongoing wage replacement benefits and burial expenses. These cases require careful legal handling and we treat them with the gravity they deserve.
We have seen all of it. We know how to fight back.
Navigating the workers’ compensation system can be complicated. Here’s an overview of the process:
Pennsylvania law gives you 120 days to report a workplace injury, but waiting creates problems. Your employer and their insurer will use any delay as grounds to question whether your injury actually happened at work. Report it the same day if you can, put it in writing, and keep a copy.
After receiving notice of your injury, your employer must file a First Report of Injury with their insurance carrier. The insurer then has 21 days to accept or deny your claim.
Your claim may be:
If your claim is denied or your benefits are terminated, you can file:
These appeals are heard by a Workers’ Compensation Judge, with further appeals possible to the Workers’ Compensation Appeal Board and higher courts.
We have been handling workers’ compensation cases across Pennsylvania for over 34 years, including clients from Berks County’s manufacturing plants, hospital systems, construction sites, and farms. We know how Pennsylvania’s workers’ compensation system works, how insurers operate in Berks County, and what it takes to build a claim that holds up through the entire process.
We have represented manufacturing workers from Berks County’s food processing and industrial plants, healthcare workers from Reading Hospital and St. Joseph Medical Center, construction workers on job sites across the county, and agricultural workers whose claims are among the most contested in the state. Our case results include a $325,000 recovery for an injured nurse, $235,000 for an emergency room technician, and $220,000 for a home health aide. These were workers whose employers and insurers initially tried to minimize or deny their claims entirely.
Lerner, Steinberg and Associates is a two-attorney firm by design. Every Berks County client works directly with Mike Lerner or Ben Steinberg throughout their entire case. You will not be handed off to a paralegal or an associate who does not know your story.
There is no upfront cost to hire us. We work entirely on contingency. If we do not recover benefits for you, you owe us nothing.
Report the injury to your supervisor in writing immediately and keep a copy for yourself
Seek medical treatment right away. even if you think the injury is minor, a documented medical record from the day of the accident is critical evidence
Photograph your injuries and the scene of the accident if you are able
Do not give a recorded statement to the insurance company without speaking to an attorney first — anything you say can and will be used to reduce your benefits
Do not post about your injury or your daily activities on social media — insurance investigators monitor these accounts
Contact Lerner, Steinberg & Associates before signing anything the insurance company puts in front of you
If you’ve been injured in a slip and fall accident due to a property owner’s negligence, you need skilled legal representation to protect your rights. Insurance companies often minimize these injuries or try to blame the victim, making it difficult to receive fair compensation without proper legal help.
Let our experienced slip and fall attorneys at Lerner Steinberg & Associates fight for the maximum compensation you deserve while you focus on your recovery. We understand the challenges these cases present and have the knowledge, resources, and determination to help you rebuild your life after a serious injury.
