Healthcare Workers Exposed to COVID-19
If you believe you have been infected with coronavirus (COVID-19) at your workplace in South Carolina, especially if you are a healthcare worker, you may be eligible for South Carolina workers' compensation benefits.
Whatever your role, whether it be as a physician, PA, nurse, diagnostician, therapist, pharmacist, lab technician, environmental services worker, paramedic, EMT or other health care worker, we recognize and appreciate you for the risks you are confronting. We want you to know, if you contract the COVID-19 virus at work, the Steinberg Law Firm will be here for you to get the medical treatment and compensation you deserve. Here are some answers to common questions that healthcare workers may have:
How does workers' compensation work in South Carolina?
In South Carolina, the workers' compensation system provides benefits available to most workers who have an on the job exposure or are injured. Exposed or injured employees receive medical treatment and compensation for two-thirds of lost wages due to work-related exposures, injuries, and disease. The Steinberg Law Firm has a distinguished history of protecting and expanding the rights of health care workers to receive medical treatment and compensation for job-related exposures to infectious diseases. Our experience includes successfully taking on exposure cases to lead, mold, Legionnaires’ disease, Hepatitis C, formaldehyde and other harmful chemicals.
Is COVID-19 a work-related injury or disease if contracted at work?
Often nobody knows when occupational exposure to an infectious disease occurs. Under South Carolina law, an occupational disease that arises due to working conditions is compensable if you can show the link between your exposure while on the job and your health condition. Occupational injuries or diseases may qualify you for medical treatment, benefits, and compensation under the law.
Occupational diseases and exposures can cause a long-term detrimental effect on your health and well-being. It is difficult to successfully pursue a workers' compensation claim for a disease contracted on the job that may also have incurred in the general public. However, it is clear healthcare workers increase their risk of contracting the coronavirus (COVID-19).
How do I report my work-related exposure or illness from coronavirus (COVID-19)?
As soon as you believe that you have contracted COVID-19, and you believe that the diagnosis is related to your occupation, you must report your injury to your supervisor or employer as soon as possible. While the law gives you up to 90 days, report your condition to your employer as soon as you can.
After you report your COVID-19 diagnosis to your employer, you should file a written claim for benefits through the South Carolina Workers’ Compensation Commission and your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance company. If you file a claim form with the South Carolina Workers' Compensation Commission, your employer and their insurance company will respond about whether your claim will be accepted or denied.
Once you file a worker's compensation claim, the employer’s insurance company will likely deny your claim or limit your treatment and benefits. But you can fight back by calling the Steinberg Law Firm at 843-720-2800.
I am a healthcare worker and contracted coronavirus (COVID-19). Will my claim be covered in South Carolina?
If you contract the disease, your claim may be covered. The workers’ compensation insurance company for your employer would have to agree that you were exposed at work and there is a link between your employment and the disease. If the insurance company agrees that your claim should be covered, then you are entitled to medical care chosen by the insurance carrier at no charge. If you are out of work for more than seven days, you are entitled to weekly compensation representing two-thirds of your weekly wage for lost wages. You are entitled to compensation from the first day you missed if you miss than 14 days from work. If you work more than one job and exposure from one job keeps you from being able to perform your other job, your compensation is based on your combined earnings from both jobs. Our experienced workers' compensation attorneys will help guide you through this process.
How should I document my working conditions?
You will need to document the working conditions at your job that increased your risk of contracting coronavirus (COVID-19).
To have a successful case, you must be able to prove how your working condition connects to your disease. In other words, you need to show that your normal working conditions made you more likely to get the disease than the general public. Our attorneys have experience in how to document work-related exposures to get you the benefits you need and deserve.
After Being Exposed to coronavirus (COVID-19) at work:
- Keep a diary or calendar of events.
- Keep the email or voice messages you received about the exposure.
- Keep a diary of symptoms and copies of any test results.
- As with all job-related injuries, you need to report your exposure to your supervisor or to the person designated for reporting workers' compensation claims.
- Document the name, date and time of all communication related to your exposure. Remember, the person notifying you of exposure may not be the same person you need to contact to report a potential workers' compensation claim.
Advocates for Healthcare Workers and First Responders
The Steinberg Law Firm has a long history protecting the rights of first responders, law enforcement, firefighters, EMT and all healthcare works. Our lawyers, staff, and administration at the Steinberg Law Firm thank all of our dedicated health care workers serving on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic. You protect us, and we want to protect you. We appreciate the sacrifices they are making every day to treat and care for the sick and the vulnerable. If you would like to talk about a potential case, please call us at 843-720-2800.
We want you to know the lawyers at Steinberg Law Firm have the knowledge, skills, and experience to help you should you become infected with coronavirus also know as COVID-19. The Steinberg Law Firm has a long history of protecting and expanding the rights of healthcare workers to receive medical treatment and compensation for job-related exposures to infectious diseases.
Attorneys for South Carolina Healthcare Workers with COVID-19
Our workers' compensation lawyers have handled thousands of workers' compensation cases due to exposure. Let us use our experience to help you through this troubling time. We will help you every step of the way should you become infected with the coronavirus.
Our thoughts are with all those presently impacted by the coronavirus and the health professionals working to care for them.
If you are a healthcare worker that has contracted coronavirus (COVID-19) in South Carolina, call our experienced attorneys at 843-720-2800 for a free consultation. To read more blogs on South Carolina Workers Compensation, click here.