Workers’ Compensation Attorneys Helping Calfornia Employees
Fire-related injuries can be life-altering. Thermal injuries to the upper airway, toxicity, airway irritation, and gas exposure can all cause death from smoke inhalation. Hoarseness, blistering, and upper airway mucosal lesions are all signs of smoke inhalation when examined by a doctor. Wheezing, cough, rhonchi, and dyspnea are all symptoms of lower respiratory tract injuries in some cases. Doctors may use chest radiography, arterial blood gases, ECG, serial cardiac enzymes, direct laryngoscopy, and fiberoptic bronchoscopy to determine the extent of the injuries. You may be able to receive compensation if you suffer smoke inhalation injuries on the job. The California workers’ compensation attorney at Workers Complaw California can assist you in navigating the system.
Benefits for Smoke Inhalation Injuries
Workers in the fire service are at a much greater risk of suffering smoke inhalation injuries than the general population. Welding and manufacturing, as well as factory production and oil and gas refinery jobs, can lead to smoke inhalation injuries. Fire and electrocution are both possible dangers when using complex machinery and equipment. Smoke inhalation is the leading cause of death in home fires, even in cases where the injuries are minor.
Take safety precautions when working in an environment where smoke inhalation is a risk. These should be included in the company’s rules and regulations. Even if you were partially or completely responsible for the fire that resulted in your smoke inhalation, you may still be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits if you suffer smoke inhalation on the job. For workers injured on the job in California, the state’s workers’ compensation system provides benefits regardless of who is at fault.
Medical attention should be sought as soon as possible after a fire-related injury. Only the hours you worked on the day of the fire should be paid to you. A person’s first day of disability is counted as the day they were injured even if they are only paid for hours worked. Disability begins the next day after you’ve been paid for the entire day.
After the fifth date of disability, your employer must notify its workers’ compensation carrier within seven days, excluding legal holidays and Sundays. After five or more full or partial calendar days in which you were unable to work because of an on-the-job injury, you may be eligible for disability benefits. After receiving the first report of injury, the insurer has 14 calendar days to mail you a check or deny your claim. In order for the Department of Industrial Accidents (DIA) to accept your Employee Claim form, at least 30 calendar days must have passed since the first date of disability.
Retain an Experienced & Professional Workers’ Compensation Lawyer in the California Area Workers’ compensation insurance is required by law for most businesses in California. You shouldn’t take the denial of your claim by an insurer for granted. Injured workers who have been exposed to smoke while on the job are represented by California workers’ compensation lawyers. Call us at (844) 414-1768 or contact us via our online form for a free consultation with a workplace accident attorney.
