Is Getting Sick at Work Covered Under Workers’ Comp

Jul 1, 2024 | Benefits, WC & Other Laws

Is Getting Sick at Work Covered Under Workers’ Comp – When you get sick, if you can prove that you were exposed to the bacteria or virus at work, you could get your medical care covered under Workers’ Compensation and get lost wages if you have to take time off work.

The problem is that it’s very hard to prove to a judge that you were exposed to a virus or bacteria at work unless the bacteria or virus is incredibly rare and you would only be exposed to it at work.

For example, if you catch the Ebola virus and you work in a place that deals with the Ebola virus, chances are the judge will believe that more likely than not you were exposed to it at work, and not elsewhere.

Is a cold or a flu covered?

With a cold or the flu, it’s not worth the fight and it’s not worth the benefits, it’s something that comes and goes, but there are big sicknesses that are covered under Workers’ Compensation.

Many types of cancers are covered if you are a first responder or a firefighter, there’s a presumption that certain types of cancers come from on-the-job exposure.

Nurses, doctors, and people in the health care industry could get exposed to needles or get punctured at work, and it can be something serious, so if they can show that the virus or bacteria came from that, it can be covered.