On Aug. 16, the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court issued an opinion clarifying the manner in which the so-called “medical only” workers’ compensation claim is to be administered following the employer’s temporary acceptance of the subject work injury. The ruling in Obeid v. Workers’ Compensation Appeal Board (Raymour & Flanigan) has established a logical protocol for the administration of “medical only” claims while reinvigorating policy considerations that prompted the development of the “medical only” regime nearly 20 years ago.

The facts in the case were not in dispute. On Sept. 13, 2018, a sales associate employed by a large retail chain suffered an injury in the course of her employment when, while moving personal items in her office, she fell to the floor, landing on her buttocks, as she attempted to sit on a chair. Her situation was complicated by the fact that at the time of the incident, she was 36-weeks pregnant.