Getting recovery for a workplace illness

Despite all of the advances in worker safety and technology, certain jobs remain perilous. Construction sites, industrial and mining work all inevitably expose people to injury and illness. Usually, if you are injured while on the job you can get financial assistance through your employer's workers' compensation insurance company. But what happens if you don't know you're injured or more specifically sick?

Industrial illness remains a big problem for many industries and job categories. As the name implies, an industrial illness is a disease or condition that is either aggravated or contracted while you are working. In Pennsylvania, your disease or illness must manifest within 300 weeks after the last date of your employment in the job where the exposure to the hazard occurred. The hazard can be biological, chemical or anything else that is connected to your job.

The problem with such a long wait period is that it is not always clear what caused your illness. This is how an attorney can help you. By sitting down with a workers' compensation attorney, he can go through the law and requirements with you so that you understand your rights. Your attorney can review your medical records, refer you to an expert and assess your employment records. An attorney can help clarify for you your exact rights to compensation.

Additionally, aside from determining if you have a valid claim for workers' compensation, an attorney can also help you figure out how much compensation you are entitled to. It is important that your paperwork is filled out correctly because you do not want your claim to be denied or delayed because you filled out the wrong box or made a computational error. An attorney can review your expenses and medical bills to calculate exactly how much you are entitled to so you can get on the road to recovery as quickly as possible.

An experienced workers' compensation attorney may be able to ensure that your rights to recovery are respected. Just because your injury took months or years to manifest does not mean that you are any less entitled to have your injuries covered. An attorney can work to help you get the compensation you need to cover your medical bills and illnesses. You deserve help to mitigate the effects of your illness.