Did you know that Healthcare Workers account for 66% of all COVID related Workers Compensation claims? Essential workers in many occupations and professions continue to face the daily threat of contracting COVID-19. While many in other industries deal with sheltering at home, physical distancing, and wearing masks, those who care for patients with a COVID-19 diagnosis and other related illnesses, Healthcare Workers do not have options. From the moment they go to work until they walk out the door at the end of a 10 or 12 hour shift, they are exposed.
A Dangerous and Deadly Trend
Considering the day-to-day risks for Healthcare Workers, data released recently by Mitchell International does not come as a shock. Health care workers have filed the vast majority of workers’ compensation claims throughout the country.
While single-digit percentages come from other essential services involving education, manufacturing and transportation, doctors, nurses, medical technicians, and others dealing with coronavirus patients are accounting for 66 percent.
These front-line workers are literally risking their lives, treating countless people suffering from a disease where more is unknown than is known.
In Pennsylvania, workers who contract COVID-19 can file for workers’ compensation benefits. In fact, police, fire, and corrections officers, to name a few occupations, are entitled to a presumption that the disease came from the workplace. All other workers, including Healthcare Workers must prove that the COVID-10 diagnosis is the result of an exposure at work. The law firm of QuatriniRafferty assists essential workers – gathering the medical evidence – establishing that the work site has positive cases of COVID-19 – proving a cause and effect relationship between our client’s diagnosis and the workplace exposure.
