Workers Are Able to Claim Workers' Compensation for an Illness Contracted at Work

    BALTIMORE, MD, January 05, 2021 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Workers' compensation attorney Steven H. Heisler announced today that workers who have become sick due to an illness contracted at work should be relieved. They may well be covered by Maryland workers' compensation benefits.

"The coronavirus outbreak has brought the problem of contracting an illness at work to the forefront," said Heisler. "Fortunately, Maryland's workers' compensation law provides employees who are injured or contract illnesses on the job a way to receive payment for lost wages and medical expenses related to the injury."

He notes that the law requires almost every Maryland employer to carry workers' compensation insurance to pay the cost of employee injuries related to work without having to prove that anyone was at fault.

According to the Maryland statutes, illnesses or injuries must occur because of conditions required by the employer for doing the job and when the employee is doing the job.

To qualify for workers' comp, you must be a covered employee who became ill as the result of, and in the course of, your employment. For example, you may have developed a lung disease that keeps you from working due to breathing toxic substances or fumes at a construction site.

Benefits You May Receive from Workers' Compensation in MD

In a successful Maryland workers' compensation claim, Heisler says, you may receive benefits that include medical expenses, payment of lost wages, generally paid weekly, and payment of permanent partial or total disability benefits.

If you cannot return to your job, you may be entitled to vocational training and counseling. Funeral expenses are covered in the case of death.

How You Can File a Claim for Workers' Compensation

Heisler says that if you're a worker who contracted an illness on the job, you need to follow proper procedures for filing a claim.

First, you should notify your employer about the injury, orally or in writing, within 10 days. If an employee dies because of an injury, the family must notify the employer within 30 days. (If an employee develops an illness, the employer must be notified within one year from the time the disease is discovered or the employee dies.)

Heisler explains that the next step is to file an Employee Claim Form C-1 with the Workers' Compensation Commission. If you have a medical provider's report, you should file that with the claim form.

There are specific time frames in which to file a claim. It needs to be done within 2 years for most accidental injuries. For an accident that ended in death, the family members have 18 months to file a workers' comp claim. If a worker gets an occupational disease, the form must be filed within 2 years, and within 3 years for a worker suffering from pulmonary dust disease. Failure to file the claim within the specified required time frame will bar you from making the claim. Thus, the employer is not required to pay any benefits.

Be aware that workers' comp is insurance, and the more claims made, the higher the premiums the employer has to pay. As a result, employers often do everything possible to avoid making a claim. Fortunately, workers' comp gives injured employees the right to have an attorney represent them.

"To ensure that you get the benefits you deserve, it can help to have an experienced workers' compensation attorney on your side to help file claims, appeal any denials, and fight for the benefits you are entitled to," says Heisler.

About Steven H. Heisler Law Firm
Workers' compensation attorney Steven H. Heisler specializes in representing victims of workplace injuries, personal injuries, medical malpractice, and wrongful death. Practicing law in Maryland since 1988, Heisler has focused exclusively on personal injury law since 1996. Located in Baltimore, Heisler's law offices represent all citizens of Maryland, advocating for the rights of people harmed by the negligent actions of others. The firm offers a free consultation to examine the facts of your individual situation and to determine the best way to move forward on your case.

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