Heat Injuries in New Jersey Workers’ Compensation Law
With New Jersey facing an early summer this year and temperatures projected to be higher than ever, it’s a good time to discuss heat injuries and workers’ compensation.
While heat injuries aren’t always weather-related, 50% to 70% of them are. A large percentage of heat injuries in the United States are even fatal.
Hopefully, you will be able to protect yourself from heat while on the job, and your employer will provide some PPE and policies to help you do so. Nevertheless, it’s good to know that heat injuries are covered if you need them to be.
Types of Heat Injury
While heat stroke is the most common and most serious heat-related illness, there are others.
- Heat exhaustion
- Dehydration
- Burn injuries
- Fainting
- Cramps
Heat may also cause secondary injuries. Sweaty hands, dizziness, and fogged glasses can cause slips, trips, and falls, for example.
Heat Injuries Are Compensable
Heat injuries are like any other injuries in New Jersey. As long as you can show the injury arose from your employment, you can obtain compensation.
The causes should be characteristic of the trade, occupation, or place of employment and show that the work contributed significantly to the heat-related injury or illness.
For example, suppose your job requires you to work outdoors or exposes you to unusually hot locations such as hot manufacturing shops, attics, or even the pavement. In that case, you can generally show that the cause of your heat illness is characteristic of your trade, occupation, or place of employment.
Unfortunately, if heat injuries cause long-term damage, many employers try to claim that pre-existing conditions caused them or that your heat injury had nothing to do with your job.
You may need to work closely with a firm like ours to gather appropriate evidence to support your case. In addition, you may be able to get help even if you have a pre-existing condition, as you may be compensated for damage or injuries that exacerbate such conditions.
Fortunately, many people recover from heat injuries relatively quickly, simplifying their worker’s compensation cases.
Get Help Today
If your employer balks at paying your heat-related worker’s compensation claim, turn to us. We can help you obtain your rightful benefits.
Contact Talone Law to schedule a free consultation today.
See also:
Claiming Workers Compensation Death Benefits in New Jersey
What Happens When a Work-Related Injury Exacerbates a Pre-Existing Condition in New Jersey?
