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Understanding what type of injury you have can help with treatment and compensation. If someone gets light scrapes or bruises, those are easy to heal up without any long-term effects on their health.
But suppose an employee starts noticing unusual symptoms which concern them due to possible asbestos exposure at work. In that case, they should demand proper care from management immediately because these problems could get much worse.
Companies have a particular responsibility towards their employees and are entitled to an optimal, safe working environment. If a company makes you work with unsafe products and makes you sick, you can use your rights. Reckless endangerment, illegal exposure, and lack of safety on the job call for a legal claim. So what are your rights at work? Here’s what you need to know:
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You Get The Right To Seek Medical Treatment
If you feel sick or uneasy, you get the right to consult a doctor. Companies can’t stop an employee from getting medical help. Even if the employee is not visibly injured, feeling severely queasy is enough to warrant a hospital visit. Suppose the medical diagnosis reveals you have mesothelioma.
Not only is it cancer but a rare form of it. Most cases stem from asbestos exposure. If you worked with asbestos frequently, you could seek reimbursement from the company as you get treatment. The cost of mesothelioma treatment is both expensive and extensive. If the company is the reason you need to go to the hospital, they need to compensate.
Get Compensation For The Medical Bill
Injuries, illnesses, and conditions that you pick from work can land you in a hospital. The medical bills you get from treatments are pretty hefty and can put a dent in your salary. Since the company is at fault, they must pay you for the losses. An employer cannot fire you or make life more difficult as you recover. If the company chooses to withhold reimbursement after consulting a lawyer, you can consider a legal route.
Filing a lawsuit under personal injuries can help you win substantial money. If you involve the court, your company cannot escape from paying its dues if the disease is as extensive as mesothelioma. The company should pay all the bills since you may have gotten them from them.
Get The Details Of Your Illness Recorded
Companies have records of why the employee had to leave. Ensure that the company wrote down the cause of your absence. This helps because they can’t hold your employee records against you if you have to sue them. The details should mention your diagnosis and the treatment you took.
The events that shaped your experience with mesothelioma should match with your employment records. This can help convert a crucial incident into a way for you to get compensated. The evidence employee records carry you to prepare a proper lawsuit if the company chooses to fire you, as under no circumstances would you be laid off from work.
Get Sick Pay
If you get sick because of your company’s poor working environment, you need to get sick pay. Illnesses like mesothelioma can lead to hospitalization. You may also need time to get better after you finish treatment. So while you’re focusing on recovering, employees need to continue paying you. While sick pay is not as much as a living wage, it’s enough money to get you by. It doesn’t come under living wages.
Instead, think of sick pay as supportive cash. If the company refuses to pay you, involve your lawyer. Withholding payment is violating your rights as an employee. You get the right to sue them and get your dues legally and fairly.
Space To Recover
An employer cannot pressure you to come back to work immediately. Under personal injury, you can sue them for not taking your well-being seriously. If you get mesothelioma, you need to rest plenty. Treatment options such as chemotherapy and radiation can take a toll on your system. So you need to get the space to relax. Your company cannot dock your pay during such a fragile time. So asking for time off from work to rest and get better is well within your legal rights.
Consult A Lawyer To Explore Your Legal Options
Severe cases of illness, which also include mesothelioma, allow you to consult a lawyer. The purpose of your consultancy is to make sure you hold your company accountable properly. Your employer cannot keep you from seeing your lawyer. If they intervene in your legal consultation, you can include that in your lawsuit.
A lawyer can help you decide what type of lawsuit is suitable for filing. They may also discuss the parameters of a settlement in case you don’t want to sue. These options are essential for exploring so that you don’t miss out on getting your fair due and stick to a lesser payout.
Make Sure You Attend Medical Appointments
You will need numerous follow-ups when you’re dealing with mesothelioma. A company cannot keep you from getting a follow-up. It can jeopardize your health and make your condition worse. So if you need to leave to get a checkup, your company should facilitate that. Companies that make employees skip a follow-up should bring a lawsuit or a demand for compensation.
When you’re getting a follow-up treatment, that means the main route of your treatment process has concluded. But palliative care comes under the company’s responsibilities. You need to rest, eat and sleep to get better and not make your health worse by skipping meals. Any interference in your plans should push you to get a lawyer.
How Can You Sue Your Employer?
The process of filing a lawsuit is technical. If you claim that someone wronged you, the court needs to know how and why. A brief overview can help you build a proper lawsuit. So here’s what you need to know:
- Report and Collect Details on Your Injury. It would help if you informed your employee about the injury you got. This is important so that you get worker’s compensation benefits. You also get the relevant documents if you need to file a lawsuit. After reporting your injury, make sure you seek a doctor and get treated. If your employer is holding out on you and not acknowledging your illness, seek a lawyer.
- Consult A Lawyer. When you have details about your illness, you should see a lawyer. This will help you decide if you should pursue a lawsuit and how severe the claim is.
- File A Claim. Once you’re sure that, you need to file a lawsuit. Draft a good case with your lawyer and submit your lawsuit. You will need to go to court and wait for your case to conclude before anticipating an outcome.
Wrap Up
If you get injured at work, including contracting a severe illness like mesothelioma, you get to exercise your rights. These include seeking treatment, getting compensated, and having your condition reflect on your company’s records. You’re also entitled to getting sick pay and space to recover. If an employer forfeits your rights, you can take them to court and sue them. The best way to deal with a lawsuit is with a lawyer to understand the parameters of a case. Once you’re sure that your rights got denied, you can sue your employer. The process of which is better told by your lawyer.
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