Can I Claim Florida Workers’ Compensation for My Occupational Disease?

An occupational disease is a health problem that is caused primarily by exposure to a health hazard in a workplace. If you are suffering from a work-related illness, then it is in your best interests to reach out to a Orange Park, Florida workers’ compensation lawyer about seeking compensation for your medical expenses. Some of the most common factors that contribute to the development of an occupational disease include:

Exposure to toxic substances
Excessive dust, gases, or fumes
Extraordinarily high levels of noise
Exposure to radiation
High levels of vibration
Exposure to infectious viruses and/or germs
Excessive variation of hot or cold temperatures
High or low air pressure

Some of these factors may result in immediate or acute reactions such as the worker suffering from nausea or shortness of breath. In most cases, these reactions are not permanent and may be due to a one-time exposure to a certain chemical or substance.

Workers' Comp Lawyer for Occupational Disease in Orange Park, Florida — You do not have to be in physical pain to receive workers’ compensation. Contact John Fagan Accident Lawyers to discuss filing a claim for your occupational disease.

However, there are cases where workers may develop diseases due to gradual exposure to toxic substances or hazards. These could include skin rashes and breathing disorders. If the employee is consistently exposed to the same toxic elements, their condition can get worse and their symptoms could become more severe. In addition, there are cases where exposure to toxic hazards may have a delayed reaction. Workers in these situations may develop serious diseases or medical conditions such as lung cancer or loss of hearing. In some cases, these conditions may even develop after the worker has stopped working in that particular workplace, but the disease is still considered to be due to the toxic elements that they were exposed to during their time with that particular employer.

Some examples of workers who are at risk of developing an occupational disease include:

Miners who develop lung disease
Healthcare workers who develop skin infections and diseases
Industrial workers who become victims of lead poisoning
Energy sector workers who become sick due to continuous exposure to radiation

There are other occupations that can result in negative health consequences for their employees. If a particular worker is involved in a job that requires repetitive motion, there is a risk that they can develop carpal tunnel syndrome. Similarly, many workers suffer deadly infections, asthma, and other medical disorders mainly because they are exposed to hazardous substances in the workplace.

Occupational Disease and Florida Workers’ Compensation Claims

If you are employed in Orange Park, Florida and you believe that you are a victim of an occupational disease, then Florida law gives you the right to claim workers’ compensation benefits for any losses that you may have incurred because of this disease. If you want more information, you should speak to a workers compensation attorney.

As per the law in Florida, if the nature of your employment was a major contributing factor towards the development of the occupational disease, then you are considered eligible for workers’ compensation benefits. However, there is a need to establish a cause and effect relationship in order to prove that this is actually the case. In order to show this association, the worker may have to undergo a thorough medical examination which would include medical tests and other diagnostic procedures, if required, to establish that the workplace environment had something to do with the development of the disease. If the worker claims that exposure to certain toxic or harmful substances was the reason why they developed a serious illness, they will have to prove that there was sufficient exposure and that this exposure was the reason that they fell ill.

Seek Legal Counsel from a Skilled Workers’ Compensation Lawyer in Orange Park, FL

If you are a working professional in Orange Park, Florida, and you believe that the long-term disease that you have developed is because of exposure to hazardous and toxic substances at your workplace, you need to talk to a workers’ compensation lawyer immediately. This is true even if you no longer work for that employer but are confident that the disease is a result of your previous place of employment.

Our Orange Park workers’ compensation attorneys at John Fagan Accident Lawyers are available to answer any questions or queries that you might have regarding how you can go about filing a workers’ compensation claim. Keep in mind that your employer may refuse to take responsibility for your medical condition if you discuss it with them. This is especially true if you do not work there anymore. However, the law in Florida gives you the right to file a claim if you can prove that the disease you have is the result of your current or previous employment. Workers’ compensation attorneys know how the system works and that is why you should speak to one regarding your case and how you should proceed.