Although the fear of diseases such as Ebola and HIV/AIDS has been taken out of the news as of late, they are still truly concerning in many different parts of the world. While these exact diseases may not be such a worry here in North Carolina, the point of infectious diseases may be one to consider in regards to workers compensation claims if you have contracted one. Such diseases as HIV, hepatitis, MRSA, and others may actually be covered through the state workers compensation laws. At least under very specific circumstances you may find compensation a possibility.
When we use the term “infectious disease”, you need to understand that we are talking about severe and possibly life threatening disorders. “Ordinary diseases of life” such as the common cold or the flu are not in any way covered under workers compensation as they could be transmitted anywhere, at any time, and through any medium. The term infectious disease means those that are heavily impactful and clearly due to work. In order to apply for workers compensation in the event of contracting such a disease, you need to be able to prove that the disease was contracted while on the job as a direct result of your duties.
Occupational diseases may be covered if the work clearly contributed to the contraction of the disease or the worker was at an increased risk of coming down with the illness due to their job. While we normally think of occupational diseases as things like cancers due to exposure to certain chemicals, it is becoming increasingly apparent that some workers are at higher risks for certain diseases. This is especially true of those who work in health care.
Although health care workers take every precaution possible to limit the spread of infectious diseases, sometimes accidents do unfortunately happen. This may be through a needle poke, exposure to certain liquids, or contact with infected bodily fluids. Even those not in health care are at risk for infectious diseases, such as MRSA depending on scrapes and infections that can settle in them.
If you have been diagnosed with an infectious disease and believe it to be a direct result of your work, call Trey Collier today for a free consultation. These situations are always serious and we will do our best to get you the compensation you deserve.