How to Determine if Your Illness is Work-Related
Posted December 11th, 2018 by Anthony Carbone, PC.
Categories: Workers Compensation.
While sitting behind your desk one day, you begin to feel lightheaded and pass out. Your co-workers call 911 and help you recover consciousness. Once transported to the hospital, you find out that there are some underlying health issues that caused you to collapse on the job.
Did you collapse because of your workplace? Are the underlying health issues a result of your workplace conditions? If you don’t know the answers to those questions, you need to keep reading.
Occupational Diseases
It’s possible for workers’ compensation benefits to be granted for a New Jersey employee who suffers an illness on the job or due to their job duties. Proving that your illness was related to your scope of employment will be much more difficult than proving an injury was caused while working, especially if the illness is of a psychological nature.
The most common occupational diseases include the following:
- Occupational asthma
- Skin issues such as industrial dermatitis or eczema
- Respiratory diseases such as mesothelioma, COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder), or pneumonitis
- Cancer
- Toxic exposure such as asbestosis
- Injuries related to stress and anxiety
- PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder)
- Neurological disorders
- Black lung
Reporting a Work-Related Illness
Are you wondering how you can report your work-related illness? The first thing you must do is seek medical care the minute you feel sick. Don’t brush it aside or act like nothing is wrong. This could come back to hurt you physically and when the time comes to file a workers’ compensation claim.
Documenting your symptoms and having a doctor diagnose you with a disease, psychological disorder, or neurological disorder will help your case move forward when filing for benefits in New Jersey. Make sure you obtain the diagnosis in writing from your doctor and submit it to your employer, along with any records that say you had to miss time at work due to your illness.
Examining the Working Conditions
An important part of determining if your illness is work-related is examining the working conditions. Are or were you exposed to asbestos on a regular basis? Do you use toxic chemicals daily? Is your job causing you a lot of stress, anxiety, or depression? If you answered yes to any of these questions you need to discuss it with your doctor and with your workers’ compensation attorney.
What is an Ordinary Disease of Life?
A term that you need to know when trying to prove that an illness or disease was caused by your job is an ordinary disease of life. This is when a workers’ compensation claim is denied because the disease or illness you have is one that people typically develop during their lifetime (heart disease, diabetes, lung cancer, high blood pressure, etc.). This will not automatically lead to your claim being denied, but it makes it much more difficult to prove your case.
Let the Law Offices of Anthony Carbone Help
The Law Offices of Anthony Carbone has been aiding injured or ill workers in New Jersey for 30 years. Our team understands the pain you are going through because of a work-related illness, and we will fight for the compensation you deserve. Are you having trouble with your workers’ compensation claim? If so, let us help you by contacting us today to schedule a free consultation.
