You have 120 days to report the injury in Pennsylvania, and the first 90 days of treatment may not work the way most people think.

Most people assume workers' comp means they can see any doctor they want right away. In Pennsylvania, that is only true if your employer did not properly post a workers' comp provider list and give you written notice of your treatment rights. If the employer did it correctly, they can require you to treat with one of their approved providers for the first 90 days.

There are limits to that control.

If it's an emergency, you can go wherever you need to go first. If you're in Lancaster and get taken to Penn Medicine Lancaster General Hospital after a crash or a bad fall, that emergency treatment is still covered. After that, the panel-doctor rule may kick in.

The employer's list has to meet Pennsylvania rules: at least six providers, with no more than four coordinated-care organizations, and you must get proper notice. If that did not happen, you can usually treat with your own doctor from day one.

After 90 days, you can switch to your own doctor, but you need to notify the employer. Also, if a panel doctor refers you to a specialist during the first 90 days, that specialist treatment is usually covered.

The practical difference is money and control. Pick the wrong doctor too early and the insurer may refuse to pay those bills. Follow the rule, and you protect wage-loss and medical benefits while you build the record of your injury.

If you were hurt as a passenger in an Uber or Lyft while traveling for work, workers' comp may cover you regardless of fault, and you may also have a separate claim against the driver who caused the crash. That matters in Pennsylvania because auto minimums are only 15/30/5, which is often nowhere near enough after a serious injury.