You may be working in an environment that could also affect your health and lead to developing certain conditions that can require medical treatment.
When you think about workplace injuries, the most common scenario that pops into one’s mind has to do with physically getting hit and suffering damage. Slip and falls, human errors, packages falling off the dock – all of these kinds of workplace accidents are eligible for compensation.
However, they are not the only types of accidents you can suffer in the workplace. You may be working in an environment that could also affect your health and lead to developing certain conditions that can require medical treatment. In these cases, does workers compensation still apply?
Benefits for Environmental Injuries
The short answer is yes. Missouri law clearly states that an employee is eligible for workers compensation both for physical injuries and illnesses. The only condition that could potentially get the claim denied is if your condition is not a direct cause, or was not influenced by your job or work environment.
By this definition, under Missouri law, your environmental injuries are also covered by workers compensation. Though there might not have been an accident, the argument here is that if you were not required to spend repeated time in a particular setting, you might not have gotten hurt or injured. As a result, you should be compensated if you do.
Types of Environmental Injuries in the Workplace
Environmental injury is a broad spectrum term that covers a variety of different issues. The common factor among all of them is that they are at least partially caused by the environment you are exposed to such as your work, your home, or other environments where you spend a lot of time.
Some common types of environmental injuries in the workplace include:
- Heat-related illness
- Hypothermia
- Frostbite
- Sunburn
- Toxin or poison exposures
Depending on the type of environment you work in, you could potentially develop an injury solely by having repeated contact with your place of work. Additionally, those who need to work out of office, because they are required to make home visits, for instance, can be exposed to additional environmental injuries such as dog bites.
Your Claim May Be Denied
In some cases, it can be difficult to determine if your environmental injury is caused by your work or another setting you’re exposed to. The insurance company may start an investigation to determine if there is a link between your condition and your injury.
If they also find evidence that your home could have been the cause of your environmental injury, your claim may be denied. As a result, you will need to build a strong case with sufficient evidence to back up your claim.
Do Not Let Your Claim Be Denied
If you have suffered an environmental injury, contact the Law Office of James M. Hoffmann. For more than 30 years we have been helping work injury victims receive the compensation they need and deserve.
Do not let the carrier deny you benefits. Missouri Workers’ Comp enables an injured worker to receive medical benefits as well as income benefits. You should be receiving treatment for ALL of your injuries, not just the ones the insurance company wants to accept. Call us today at (314) 361-4300 or fill out our online contact form to request a free consultation.