New York State has cold, wet winters. For people who work outdoors, this frequent exposure to extremely cold temperatures can have serious consequences. If you suffered frostbite, hypothermia, or other cold stress injuries in New York during the course and scope of your employment, you may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. Here’s what you should know about work-related cold stress injuries, potential benefits, filing a workers’ comp claim, and how a seasoned attorney can help you.
Injuries associated with prolonged exposure to cold include:
If you experienced these or other cold stress injuries on the job, our knowledgeable and experienced workers’ compensation attorneys can help you recover fair benefits.
Employees who work outdoors aren’t the only ones at risk for cold exposure injuries. Workers whose jobs require them to work in freezers, refrigeration units, and other climate-controlled cold environments may be subject to many of the same conditions. Some categories of susceptible workers include:
If you suffered a cold stress injury on the job, you could be entitled to medical treatment benefits, which covers all reasonable and necessary medical care related to your cold exposure injury. If your injuries keep you out of work for more than a week, you may also qualify for partial wage replacement benefits consisting of two-thirds of your average weekly wage.
Indemnity payments can continue until your condition has stabilized and you’ve reached maximum medical improvement (MMI) or for a specified number of weeks, depending on your injury. If you’ve lost a body part—or permanently lost the use of a body part—you may be eligible for a scheduled loss of use award.
Not sure which benefits may apply in your case? We can help.
If you’ve suffered a cold stress injury, it’s important that you take the following steps to protect your health and legal right to compensation:
The most important thing to do if you’ve been injured at work is to contact an attorney. Contact O’Connor Law PLLC today to schedule an appointment for a complimentary consultation. We look forward to discussing the details of your case.
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