Some professions, by their very nature, create conditions for illness or injury. There are many occupations that often bring about injuries directly related to the work they involve. Those conditions are called occupational illnesses and are often covered by workers’ compensation in many states. And even if the occupation itself does not cause the illness at hand, it certainly often worsens them.
(Understand the Basics of Workers’ Compensation)
A worker with hypertension, for example, may suffer a worsening of their condition simply by working in the high-pressure field of policing or emergency services. Because police officers and fire fighters experience more stress than the average worker, they are at risk of damaging their health further should they experience high-blood pressure or be at risk for the disease. As such, workers’ compensation provides compensation in circumstances where one’s occupation contributes to a debilitating condition resulting from their work.
Employees exposed to toxic materials that develop illness directly related to that exposure are similarly often found eligible for workers’ comp payments for occupational illness. Whatever the diagnosis, compensation will likely not be awarded unless the claimant can demonstrate that their injury or illness directly resulted from their work or their employment environment or that it was made worse as a result of their work.
It must be stated that every workplace injury claim is unique and claimants would likely benefit from consulting with an experienced workers’ compensation attorney who can explain the full scope of options available to someone injured on the job. For instance, those exposed to toxic substances at their place of employment may, in addition to workers’ compensation benefits, be entitled to personal injury damages related to product liability law.
Obviously, the first consideration when injured on the job should be getting adequate medical care and evaluation. It’s important for your recovery and it mitigates damages in your claim, which is important under personal injury law. It’s also, however, very important that you seek the council of an experienced employment attorney, who can advocate for you and negotiate on your behalf to secure the largest award to which you are entitled.
If you would like to learn more about your options while injured on the job, call Bizzieri Law Offices at 773.881.9000 and speak with one of our experienced attorneys. There is no charge for the initial consultation, and we don’t collect a fee unless we win damages for you.