- June 20, 2021
If your job renders you sick, you might be eligible for workers’ comp in Cleveland, OH, which are benefits provided by Ohio Workers’ Compensation (OWC). However, qualifying for the state disability service with an occupational disease is tough.
Preparing a workers’ compensation claim with the assistance of an Ohio lawyer who has represented numerous other individuals who have been too sick to work will increase the odds of obtaining payments. It can help to replace missed salaries to fund medical treatments and ongoing rehabilitation and therapy.
Conditions for Eligibility Workers’ Comp in Cleveland, OH:
OWC keeps track of occupational diseases that, if correctly diagnosed and directly related to on-the-job conditions and practices, may qualify a worker for workers’ compensation benefits. Among those on the list are:
- Chrome ulceration of the skin and nasal passages
- Asbestosis (but not mesothelioma from breathing in asbestosis)
- Berylliosis: a lung condition caused by breathing beryllium
- Silicosis: a respiratory (lung) disease caused by inhaling silica dust and particles
- Anthrax: a disease that may be spread by cattle or soil
- Glanders: a disease that affects livestock, especially horses, and may be transmitted to humans;
- Tenosynovitis and prepatellar bursitis (inflammation of fluid-filled sacs around joints)
- Eye cancers caused by contact with or exposure to toxic and caustic substances and compounds
- Skin cancers caused by contact with or exposure to toxic and caustic substances such as carbon, pitch, tar, or tarry compounds
- Lung diseases caused by contact with or exposure to toxic and caustic substances and compounds
- Infections caused by oils, cutting compounds or lubricants, dust, liquids, fumes, gases, or vapors, etc.
- Any poisoning caused by lead, mercury, phosphorous, arsenic, benzol and derivatives, gasoline, benzene, naphtha, hazardous petroleum compounds, carbon disulfide, wood alcohol, carbon dioxide, brass, zinc, manganese dioxide, radium, potassium cyanide, or sulfur dioxide
In general, OWC would not consider a single contact or isolated task to be enough to cause a disease that puts an Ohio employee out of work for a long period of time. Massive exposures, such as those that may occur in the event of an industrial disaster, may be exempted.
Long-Term Exposure:
In addition to the specified conditions, the OWC would consider awarding workers’ compensation coverage to certain workers. These include firefighters who contract lung cancer or respiratory diseases, police officers who develop cardiovascular disease, and those with proof of long-term exposure to the following:
- Noises at a high frequency
- Noises that are too loud
- Steady vibrations
- Very low temperatures
- Very hot temperatures
- Sudden changes in temperature from low to high or vice versa
- High level of atmospheric pressure
- Infectious organism
- Harmful Radiations
Repetitive Motion Disorders:
Repetitive motion disorders are a final set of conditions that may qualify for workers’ comp in Cleveland, OH. The most well-known repetitive motion disorder is carpal tunnel syndrome, but a disabling condition caused by repeated bending, lifting, and twisting can impact any muscle group, tendon, ligament, or joint.
This can also develop when typing at a desk all day or doing other repetitive activities at work with your hands. However, this isn’t the only kind of injury that can occur from repetitive motion. Repetitive motion can also lead to the following:
- Injuries to the vessels
- Tendonitis, bursitis, and other joint injuries
- Spinal injuries and lower back pain
- Tennis elbow
- Cubital Tunnel Syndrome (CTS)
- Eyesight impairment
- Hearing impairment
Employers frequently try to argue that repetitive motion injuries did not happen in the workplace. Our attorneys will fully examine, analyze, and prepare your workers’ compensation claim to ensure that you get fair compensation for your workplace injuries.
The Statute of Limitations:
The OWC has a two-year statute of limitations for filing workers’ compensation claims. When the applicant’s complaints cause them to stop functioning or when a diagnosis is confirmed, the clock usually starts ticking. If a claimant is given an extension of time to file a claim, the term of limitations is only extended for six months.
As many medical data, personal job records, pay records, and treatment specifics as practicable should be included in the application to OWC. Working with a workers’ compensation lawyer in Ohio will help ensure that the initial request file is as complete as possible.
Contact Us:
To discuss your claim about workers’ comp in Cleveland, OH, with a lawyer, contact us online or give us a call. We give free-of-charge first consultation with our attorneys.