General preparation · Source checked 2026-11-09 · AI-assisted editorial

Verify Who Is Contacting You About a Work-Injury Claim

Before giving claim information to a new contact, confirm who they are, which organization they represent and what task they are handling. Different people may be involved in a work-injury matter. This guide helps you map those roles and verify a request; it does not authenticate an individual message.

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Ask for the role, not just a name

A person might say they work for your employer, an insurer, a claims administrator, a provider, an attorney’s office or a government agency. Record the stated organization and role, then ask what their request concerns.

In Pennsylvania, DLI’s injured-worker guide describes private insurers, third-party administrators, the State Workers’ Insurance Fund and self-insured employers as parts of the benefit-payment system. That explains why a name different from your employer may appear. It does not prove that any particular caller or message is genuine.

Avoid assuming that every person discussing a claim has the same authority or responsibility. A scheduling contact and someone explaining a benefits decision may handle very different tasks. Ask who can answer the specific question you have.

Verify through information already established

Compare the new contact with correspondence you already know belongs to the matter. Use an established employer or claims contact to confirm a new person or a changed route for sending records. If someone claims to be from a Pennsylvania agency, begin with that agency’s official page rather than a link supplied only in the incoming message.

An exact claim detail can help locate the matter, but knowing that detail is not enough to establish identity. Do not send additional sensitive information merely to reward a message for appearing familiar.

If the sender is an attorney, the Pennsylvania Disciplinary Board’s lookup can help you match the professional’s public record. A matching name does not authenticate an email account or authorize a document request. Those still need to be confirmed with the office.

Understand the request before answering

Ask what record is needed, why it is needed for the stated task, who will receive it and which channel should be used. Keep a note of the explanation and any deadline or event stated in the actual request, without deciding its legal effect yourself.

If the request seems broader than the issue discussed, ask for clarification. This page does not advise withholding records that a legal process requires or declaring a request invalid. It suggests resolving identity and purpose before transmitting information to an unverified recipient.

Keep a contact map

Maintain a private note linking each confirmed organization and person to their stated role, the date confirmed and the route used. Mark a contact “unconfirmed” when you have not completed that check. A contact map is not an endorsement and should be updated if responsibilities change.

For a suspicious payment or identity request, use the separate suspicious-message guide. Individual questions about an obligation to provide information need advice based on the actual request.

Sources and scope

Checked 2026-11-09. These sources explain the Pennsylvania background identified below. The organizing methods and suggested questions on this page are editorial guidance, not filing requirements.

PA DLI: Workers’ Compensation & the Injured Worker — What is workers’ compensation?.
PA DLI: Bureau of Workers’ Compensation — Contact us.
Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania: Look Up an Attorney — Search instructions and public-data notice.