As a healthcare worker, you’re someone others turn to when they need treatment for an injury or illness. Sadly, this puts you in a prime position to suffer your own injuries and illnesses.
On-the-job injuries are far from uncommon among healthcare workers. In fact, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), healthcare is one of the most hazardous industries for employees, with more than 250,000 work-related injuries or illnesses reported each year.
If you’re a New York healthcare worker who was seriously injured on the job or diagnosed with a devastating occupational disease, you can find yourself out of work for days, weeks, or even longer—while your medical and household bills mount. Workers’ compensation benefits can cover your medical treatment expenses and help you make ends meet until you’re ready to return to work. Here’s what you should know before filing a workers’ compensation claim in the Empire State.
Healthcare workers can face numerous on-the-job risks, including:
The use of proper safety equipment and protocols can help ameliorate some of these potential hazards, but workers can face additional and unnecessary risk when safety equipment isn’t available or using it isn’t standard procedure.
Healthcare workers can suffer wide-ranging injuries and illnesses in the workplace. Some of the most common injuries that require healthcare workers to miss work include:
As an injured healthcare worker in New York, you may be entitled to the following workers’ compensation benefits:
You become eligible for indemnity payments if your injury or illness keeps you out of work for seven days or longer. If you’re out of work for 14 or more days, you may be able to recover partial wage benefits for the first seven days you were absent.
Workers’ compensation is a no-fault insurance system, but that doesn’t mean obtaining the benefits you need and deserve is easy. Your employer’s workers’ comp insurer may claim that your injury wasn’t work-related or that it was due to a preexisting condition. When you’re ready to return to work, you may find that your employer doesn’t have the light-duty or transitional work needed to accommodate your injury.
Regardless of the challenges in your case, you can benefit from the knowledge and experience of a skilled New York workers’ compensation attorney. Here are just a few things a workers’ comp lawyer can do for you:
At O’Connor Law PLLC, our team of seasoned workers’ compensation lawyers in New York helps injured employees recover fair benefits. We’re proud to help New York’s healthcare heroes obtain the compensation and support they deserve after suffering a serious workplace injury or occupational illness.
Ready to find out how we can help your case? Contact us today to schedule an appointment for a complimentary, no-obligation initial consultation.
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