Most Federal Workers Compensation Cases are fairly straightforward. A worker fell on the job or had a job-related injury, our center shows the extent of the damage, and the case is pushed through. Simple cases, simple answers.
Sadly, not all cases are that simple.
In the event of being exposed to toxic chemicals, workers who end up with a potential case have a lot more to worry about. In these rare cases, the burden is on them (and their medical centers) to prove that the exposure happened on the job.
Proving that toxic chemicals made a worker sick isn’t always easy, and may be hard for even seasoned professionals to immediately diagnose. In most cases, blood work, workplace testing, as well as symptom research may be required.
Trying to figure out if your workplace is responsible in your case may be difficult. That being said, these four signs are often the best indicators that you may have a toxin exposure case on your hands before you book a testing session:
- You aren’t the only worker to get similar symptoms or illnesses.
One of the most common signs people look for when they are trying to figure out their case is seeing coworkers falling ill with similar symptoms.
Seeing spikes of illnesses like cancer can be a sign of a workplace toxin, as well as seeing coworkers who all have the same symptoms as you. This suggests that the cause of the problem may have been at work.
- You were recently diagnosed with an illness linked to specific toxins you worried about.
In many cases, the nature of the illness you have can be directly tied to a specific toxin found in the workplace. If you were diagnosed with a rare disease like mesothelioma, a workplace toxin is most likely to blame.
- A recent report cited your workplace for environmental toxins.
By law, workplaces are required to furnish reports about environmental or chemical toxin exposure that have been noted in and around your area. If you take a look at the workplace safety reports in your office and notice that you were likely exposed to a chemical, this may be reason enough to get a checkup.
Don’t worry about overreacting. Miami OWCP doctors regularly see cases where things seem alright at first but are later proven to be fairly serious. If you are concerned about underlying issues, our facility will help determine the proper course of action.
- Since you’ve started working on the job, you had symptoms that never seem to go away or worsen when you’re at work.
With regular injuries on the job, Miami OWCP doctors can take a quick look at you with an x-ray to determine what happened. Toxin-related illnesses are different and are harder to pinpoint, because of the fact that linking a chemical to a place isn’t easy to do with medical equipment.
If you were always healthy prior to taking your federal job, there is reason to suspect your workplace. On a similar note, if your symptoms worsen when you’re at work, this should be cause for concern. By calling our center, you can get more information about these complex cases and find out what we can do to help get you the compensation you need.
