New Jersey Covid-19 Workers’ Comp Injury Lawyers

Experienced Workers’ Comp Injury Lawyers In Edison, Freehold, And Brick, New Jersey Can Help You File A Claim 

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many businesses across America have required their workers to work in varying capacities from home. However, many workers, especially those working in essential industries such as healthcare, retail, utilities, and related services, have continued to report to work despite the risks posed by the pandemic. Many such workers have contracted COVID-19, suffering a wide range of illnesses, from respiratory and sensory problems to death. As a result, many workers and their families wonder whether they can apply for workers’ compensation benefits for COVID-19. In general, workers’ comp for pandemic-related illnesses requires affected employees to demonstrate that their illness was work-related. Contact Lombardi and Lombardi, P.A.’s New Jersey Covid-19 workers’ comp injury lawyers for assistance with your case.

What Are The Signs, Symptoms, And Long-Term Effects Of COVID-19?

COVID-19 can lead to a laundry list of health ailments, from coughs and difficulty breathing to death.

Ailments commonly reported by patients with COVID-19 and those who recovered from it include:

• Chronic fatigue and shortness of breath
• Persistent coughs
• Muscular and skeletal pain
• Headaches and hallucinations
• Kidney and cardiac issues

What Can I Claim In Workers’ Comp Benefits?

That depends on the limits of your employer’s policy, but in general, If you suffer illnesses, injuries, or damages of any sort due to COVID-19 and can show that your illnesses, injuries, or damages were work-related, you can seek compensation for lost wages, medical treatment costs, and partial and permanent disability.

What Qualifies Me For Workers’ Compensation Benefits?

The main criterion of eligibility for workers’ compensation benefits is for your illness or injury to be work-related. This means you must have contracted an illness or suffered an injury while performing the work or tasks required of you by your job.

Extrapolating from this, if you became ill or were injured while traveling for work, during a client visit, attending an offsite meeting, or performing other work-related tasks – even if you were doing so away from your formal place of work – then you are likely covered by workers’ comp rules.

What If My Employer Is Not At Fault?

Your employer need not be at fault or guilty of negligence for you to be able to file a workers’ comp claim. Workers’ comp is a no-fault system. Even if your employer follows all required safety recommendations, precautions, and standards, you can still file for workers’ compensation if you become ill or are injured while performing work-related duties.

Can I Sue For Coronavirus-Related Damages?

Yes, but only if your employer is found guilty of gross negligence. A failure to follow mandatory safety guidelines or to reasonably protect workers from exposure to illnesses or hazards that led to losses or personal injuries can be grounds for a lawsuit as well as workers’ compensation benefits.

How Do I Know If I Am Covered By My Employer’s Workers’ Compensation Plan?

In general, if you are a regular worker and earn regular wages or a regular salary from your work, you are a standard employee and will be covered by your employer’s workers’ comp policy. A non-exhaustive list of workers who are usually covered by workers’ comp laws and policies is as follows:

• Construction workers
• Skilled trade workers
• Emergency medical technicians
• Emergency responders
• Health care workers
• Nursing home and eldercare personnel
• News, media, and IT employees
• Professional services employees
• Managers, administrators, and sales personnel
• Restaurant and retail employees
• Grocery and supermarket employees
• Teachers, professors, and other school, college, and university personnel
• Travel and hospitality employees

Exceptions include part-time, seasonal, and contract workers who are not regular employees at a business.

New Jersey Covid-19 Workers’ Comp Injury Lawyers Will Help You Determine Coverage For Coronavirus Workers’ Compensation Claims

Rules and insurance laws for workers’ comp vary from state to state and across different jurisdictions and industries. There is also a great deal of variability in terms of businesses that are required to provide workers’ comp coverage and those that do not. For example, an online business or a company with fewer than two full-time hires may be exempt from purchasing workers’ comp coverage. The rules for government employees also differ from those of private businesses.

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with COVID-19 or suffered a COVID-related illness or injury and you believe the illness or injury to be work-related, you may have grounds for a workers’ comp claim. Contact our legal team to investigate your case. We can help you as follows:

• We will determine if you are a covered employee or otherwise have grounds for a workers’ comp claim or the right to sue for damages.
• We will gather the evidence needed to prove that your damages are work-related.
• We will quantify your damages and obtain expert medical testimony to back your claims.
• We will show that you took reasonable steps to safeguard your health at work but still contracted an illness or suffered an injury. This can protect you from being counter-blamed for becoming ill.

New Jersey Covid-19 Workers’ Comp Injury Lawyers Will Ensure That The Decedent’s Family Receives Wrongful Death Benefits

The threat of work-related death in the workplace due to COVID-19 is very real, particularly for older adults and individuals with preexisting and other health conditions. Workers’ comp also provides death benefits, so speak to an attorney about the legal action you should take to secure full and fair compensation for you and your family.

Contact Our New Jersey Covid-19 Workers’ Comp Injury Lawyers Today For A Free Consultation

The long-term impacts of COVID-19 can last a lifetime, and the experience of contracting the illness can be harrowing and can leave a permanent scar. You may also lose substantial income while you are unwell, and you may be unable to return to work once you’ve recovered.

To learn more about your options for seeking compensation for losses arising from COVID-19 contracted at work or while performing work-related duties, contact Lombardi and Lombardi, P.A.’s New Jersey Covid-19 workers’ comp injury lawyers today.