People can develop all kinds of debilitating medical conditions because of their work. Someone might injure their back and forever have pain when they lift too much or twist too quickly. Others could get hurt in a machinery malfunction that causes severe injuries.
When workers develop medical conditions because of their employment, they may qualify for Arizona workers’ compensation benefits. Those benefits can pay for someone’s medical treatments. Benefits can possibly reimburse them for lost wages if they cannot work or can only work a lower-paying job.
Most medical conditions that lead to workers’ compensation claims have a very clear connection to someone’s employment. Is it possible for someone with cancer to qualify for workers’ compensation?
The cancer must relate to someone’s job
Most employees with a job-acquired medical condition can potentially qualify for benefits if they can show that their health conditions came from their jobs. Establishing that connection is much easier in some cases than in others. It is theoretically possible to get workers’ compensation benefits for cancer provided that someone can show that their job is the cause of their cancer.
It can be difficult to prove why someone developed cancer, but there are certain well-known carcinogens that could cause cancer in exposed workers. Still, sometimes there is a clear connection between the kind of cancer someone has and an element of their job. For example, individuals diagnosed with lung cancer who have handled dangerous products, like asbestos, at work could potentially establish that their cancer was a result of their exposure during employment.
With the right research, it may be possible to receive both disability benefits and medical coverage when someone’s job is what led to them developing cancer. Often, those with cancer may require leave from work not because of the symptoms of their cancer but rather because of how debilitating the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation often are. In cases where people die because of a job-related cancer diagnosis, sometimes their surviving family members could potentially qualify for certain types of benefits as well.
Learning more about workers’ compensation benefits may help people determine whether they may be eligible. Seeking legal guidance is a good place to start.