Mississippi Workers’ Comp: Can Your Job Be Making You Sick?

It is not just the typical cold and flu that can have negative effects. Spending more than 40 hours at work can adversely impact your health. Some jobs involve a higher risk of getting sick from occupational illnesses. Workers’ compensation can cover more than just work accidents. It can cover the expenses associated with occupational diseases as well. Through the help of a Mississippi workers’ comp lawyer, a victim can obtain assistance when they become ill due to the hazards of their workplace.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics gave a report on occupational injuries that there were 59 fatal workplace accidents in Mississippi in 2019 versus 72 in 2018. The Regional Commissioner stated that the number of fatal work-related accidents dropped by 24 percent from last year. A threshold of 128 fatal occupational injuries occurred in 1995 and 1999 while a threshold of 59 occurred in 2019.

Which Jobs Are Most Likely to Cause Occupational Diseases?

A few painting industries are more at-risk of intense diseases than others. These industries include:

• Health care
• Mining
• Farming
• Construction
• Welding

The medical examiner usually looks after others, yet health professionals must attend work despite everything, risking serious illness themselves. Who is responsible for taking care of the medical examiner that takes care of others? A lot of numerous viruses and bacteria are present inside the medical field. The most significant threats encountered by workers within the health care area are tuberculosis, MRSA, blood-borne diseases, and the Ebola virus.

Workers who are exposed to toxic dust in the minefield are susceptible to illnesses like silicosis due to the harmful dust they inhale on a daily basis. Silica is widespread poisonous dust that tends to be present at the minefield. Inhaling it all day long can result in silicosis for the worker. In the case of silicosis, lung scarring may cause pulmonary fibrosis and cause long-term health problems.

What Occupational Illnesses Can Workers Contract?

Several severe kinds of workplace ailments are associated with a particular kind of employment. The following are some examples of types of occupational illnesses covered to some extent by workers’ compensation:

• Mesothelioma
• Industrial Asthma
• Industrial Dermatitis
• Chemical Poisoning
• Neurological Disorders
• Skin Damage/Diseases
• Respiratory Conditions
• Cancers Interstitial
• Fibrosis Infections
• AIDS and HIV
• Cardiovascular Conditions

A number of workplace ailments can even lead to death. According to the California Department of Industrial Relations, the state’s industrial relations department recorded 483 non-fatal incidents of occupational infections during the 12-month reporting period. A total of 451 deadly cases were also disclosed in the most recent information document.

In order to prove that the ailment was contracted on the job, there needs to be a direct connection between the contamination and the work surroundings. Otherwise, it is more and more difficult to demonstrate the employee caught the illness at their workplace or contracted it there. Proof of your medical condition is detrimental to getting the benefits you are entitled to through an occupational sickness claim.

Is It Possible to Work Part-Time On Mississippi Workers’ Comp?

The injury does not have a predetermined period. Wage loss is determined by the extent that your injury affects your capability to complete your job and whether or not you are totally or partially disabled.

In some cases, though, workers’ injuries are more minor and they are still partially disabled. In those cases, a worker who has been injured may be able to work part-time for the same organization or another that offers a lesser salary. In Mississippi, this may be permitted under Mississippi workers’ comp laws, but it may decrease the number of benefits that are received and could seriously harm the claim.

Are You Going to Need a Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Lawyer?

Workers are have started losing their capacity to do their jobs well or entirely because of occupational sicknesses. This implies the requirement for increased manpower in such organizations. A lot of innocent victims are unsure what to do if they get sick at work. Understanding the next steps may be difficult for employees and they might be left all on their own. The Mississippi workers’ comp attorneys at our firm will be able to assist such victims by utilizing all the knowledge and sources.