Riverside Occupational Disease Claims Lawyers
Fighting for Workers’ Comp Benefits for Sick, Injured and Disabled Workers in Riverside
Workers’ compensation coverage is not limited to traffic accidents or slip and falls. Many people get sick after years of working in dangerous conditions. If you have contracted an illness because of exposure to something harmful at your job, you have a right to seek coverage through workers’ compensation. We can help.
At Ochoa & Calderón, our dedicated California occupational disease attorneys have over two decades of experience helping injured workers get the medical care and benefits they are owed after an on-the-job injury. We help injured employees suffering from all manner of workplace maladies, regardless of whether proving the workplace connection is simple or complex. Let our experienced occupational illness legal team fight for your right to compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and other losses caused by your work-related illness.
Workers’ Comp Covers Work-Related Illnesses
In California, you are guaranteed workers’ compensation coverage for work-related injuries and illnesses. Your coverage is not limited to impact-based injuries such as car accidents, falls, or industrial incidents. If you contract a disease or suffer from some other condition and your illness resulted from your time on the job, you are entitled to workers’ comp protection. Workers’ comp covers both physical and mental illnesses.
Although workers’ comp does cover occupational diseases, obtaining compensation for a work-related illness can be more challenging than for a work-related injury. You’ll need to demonstrate not only that you have a proper, medically diagnosable condition, but also that you incurred that illness because of your work, either through exposure at the workplace or while off-site performing work-related tasks.
What Causes Occupational Disease?
Unlike workplace accidents, occupational diseases often develop over time, typically as a result of exposure to something harmful in the work environment. Most workplace injuries arise from a single incident; occupational diseases arise from continued exposure over time. Typically, occupational diseases arise as a result of:
- Harmful chemicals
- Carcinogens such as asbestos, coal tar, and wood dust
- Biological agents, such as parasites and infectious diseases
- Physical agents such as loud noises, bright lights, extreme temperatures, and radiation
Exposure can happen in a variety of ways. You might work in a building or on a construction site contaminated with asbestos or other harmful agents. You might be exposed to toxic chemicals in cleaning solutions, chemical solvents, or pesticides. You might be exposed to radiation or harmful gamma rays emitted by heavy machinery. You might be exposed to infectious diseases at a hospital or in a retail environment.
If you’ve been regularly exposed to a harmful toxin or other dangerous hazards at your work, make sure to get regular medical check-ups. You could have developed a serious condition through continued exposure. A seasoned occupational disease attorney can help you get the medical care you need for your work-related illness.
Common Occupational Illnesses
Workers’ comp covers all manner of work-related illnesses, so long as they can be connected to the job. Some of the more common occupational diseases that California workers suffer include:
- Cancer, especially mesothelioma (asbestos) or lung cancer
- Skin conditions such as dermatitis
- Asthma and other respiratory conditions
- Brain damage
- Carpal tunnel and other repetitive stress disorders
- Infectious diseases, especially for healthcare employees
- Mental health conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder and work-related generalized anxiety disorder
If you have been diagnosed with cancer, asthma, or some other condition and you suspect it comes from your work, call a knowledgeable occupational disease workers’ comp attorney as soon as you can for help getting the medical treatment that you need without going bankrupt in the process.
Our Riverside Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Are Ready to Help You Get the Coverage You Are Owed
For help getting benefits after an on-the-job injury or workplace illness, call Ochoa & Calderón to discuss your case with a thorough and effective California workers’ comp lawyer. Call 951-901-4444 in Riverside or 844-401-0750 toll-free throughout Southern California.
