When we think of workers' comp, we tend to think of accidents and injuries, such as a broken leg, a concussion, severe burns.
Can medical marijuana impact your workers' compensation?
While you never want to end up out of work and dealing with chronic pain after a workplace injury, you have the protection of workers' compensation to ensure your recovery, chronic pain, or disability do not leave you destitute, while providing options to relieve your suffering. However, with New York's medical marijuana laws, you may find a doctor prescribing you medical-grade cannabis as a way to ease any ongoing pain. Yet with many employers taking a dim view of the increasing legalization of marijuana, will using your medical marijuana prescription give employers grounds for a case against continuing your workers' compensation payments?
Understanding Workers Compensation and the ADA
Those who have suffered a work injury, whether mental or physical, may be afforded additional workers' compensation protections other than those offered by the state of New York under the ADA. The ADA, or the Americans with Disabilities Act, has, since 1990, existed as a civil rights and liberties law that, according to the EEOC website, offers protections to citizens with disabilities in ways considered fair and equal under the law. This includes protecting against discrimination, such as discrimination in availability of public services, access to employment, access to telecommunications services and access to accommodations.
Are job-related car crashes eligible for workers' compensation?
Workers' compensation benefits are available for employees suffering all sorts of on-the-job injuries. These traditionally include such things as back pain (from repetitive motion trauma), broken bones, falls, crush injuries and occupational illnesses like cancer caused by chemical exposure.
What is OSHA's role in workers' compensation cases?
If you work in New York, you have heard of OSHA, or the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. OSHA defines, monitors, and enforces workplace health and safety standards, including imposing penalties on employers who fail to comply with those standards. But if you have been injured on the job in an unsafe situation, how do OSHA violations tie into workers' compensation claims?
Understanding asthma as an occupational disease
One of your greatest fears on the job in any New York workplace may be developing a chronic illness due to exposure to substances in your environment. You worry that every cough, tickle in the back of your throat or shortness of breath may be occupational asthma. Occupational asthma can arise from a number of circumstances, and we at Angiuli & Gentile, LLP understand the concerns you face when potentially dealing with occupational asthma or another occupational disease.
Liability in trench collapse cases
When a trench wall collapses on a construction site in New York, damage can result to equipment, supplies and personnel. At times that damage can end in catastrophic injury to workers, or even death. Yet determining liability in a trench collapse can be tricky, when a number of conditions and variables could have led to the collapse. Trench walls may collapse due to unsafe work conditions, weather factors impacting the site, worker negligence or employer negligence.
Opioid use and workers' compensation
Both employers and employees in New York are beginning to see the effects of opioid use. Not only are these painkillers prescribed in many workers' compensation claims, but they also lead to decreased productivity, missed work and more work-related claims.
Detailing workers' compensation death benefits
When you have a loved one that is injured in a workplace accident in Staten Island, your immediate assumption is that workers' compensation benefits will cover his or her expenses. At the same time, you have likely also heard the such coverage is limited. Many of those that we here at Angiuli & Gentile, LLP have worked with in the past have shared the same assumption, only expecting workers' compensation to cover medical costs and lost wages. Yet what if your loved one is killed in his or her accident? Are you still entitled to some form of workers' compensation benefit?
Understanding occupational diseases
Workers in New York should be aware of occupational diseases and how they play a role in workers' compensation claims. Individuals should understand how incidents can occur and what actions the injured victim should take if exposed.
