Many employees are aware that they can rely on workers’ compensation if they get injured at work. However, work-acquired illnesses may seem like a gray area to many. Particularly in scenarios where professionals develop illnesses that require extensive treatment and possibly a leave of absence, they might consider applying for workers’ compensation benefits. A cancer diagnosis can interrupt a professional’s career and saddle them with major medical expenses.
Can professionals rely on workers’ compensation to help them cover cancer-related expenses?
Some jobs can cause cancer
Many professionals have job responsibilities that could increase their risk of cancer. Manufacturing professionals, lawn maintenance workers, construction workers and countless others may have contact with carcinogenic materials on the job.
Even protracted exposure to solar radiation due to working outside could put people at risk of developing skin cancer. Firefighters and other first responders could end up exposed to carcinogens as they rush into burning buildings or apply chemicals intended to extinguish a fire.
Provided that professionals can connect their cancer to their job functions, they may potentially have grounds for a workers’ compensation claim. Firefighters, for example, benefit from a presumption that cancer is likely a result of their employment.
Many others could theoretically show that work functions contributed to their cancer. Workers’ compensation could pay for treatment costs after a cancer diagnosis. Professionals may also be eligible for disability benefits to offset lost income when they can’t work.
Reviewing medical records and employment responsibilities with a skilled legal team can help people determine if they may be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits. Cancer is a somewhat common work-acquired illness that workers’ compensation can help professionals address under certain circumstances.