If you contracted coronavirus while at work, you may be able to file for workers’ compensation to cover your medical bills, lost wages, rehabilitation costs, and travel expenses for your doctor’s appointments. If you lost a loved one who was infected with the coronavirus while at work due to the coronavirus, your family may be able to collect workers’ compensation insurance for your loved one’s funeral expenses, burial expenses, and to cover some of your family’s losses. The challenge with filing a workers’ compensation claim for coronavirus is that the person filing has to show that there was a unique risk or hazard on the job that led to the coronavirus infection. Some workers are employed in positions where the assumption is already in place that they will be likely to encounter the coronavirus in the line of duty and will therefore more likely have their claim accepted. Workers in the following fields generally will be able to make a workers’ compensation claim for their coronavirus infection:
- Doctors
- First Responders
- Fire Fighters
- Police
- Healthcare Workers
There are other workers deemed “essential workers” who may also be at a heightened risk of contracting the coronavirus. Essential workers during the coronavirus include:
- People who stock shelves at grocery stores, cashiers, food delivery workers, and anyone who works in the food service industry
- Food manufacturers and processors including meat packers, warehouse workers, farm workers, and more
- Delivery personnel including truckers, neighborhood food delivery, postal service workers
- Pharmacists
- Janitors
- Construction workers
- Bus drivers and transportation workers
- Government workers, including department of health workers, wastewater workers, public works, and other community workers
- Communications workers
- And others
If you have been deemed an essential worker and believe you contracted coronavirus on the job, you may be able to make a workers’ compensation claim. However, you’ll need to show that you contracted coronavirus because of unique risks that you faced on the job. So, if your place of work was associated with a local coronavirus outbreak (as has been the case with some workers employed in meat processing plants or in warehouses), you may potentially be able to file a workers’ compensation claim. Orlando R. Murillo, P.A. is a workers’ compensation law firm in Miami, Florida that may be able to assist you with your workers’ compensation claim if you contracted COVID-19 on the job.
Businesses and COVID-19 Liability in Miami, Florida
As businesses re-open, many are concerned about their duties when it comes to controlling the spread of the coronavirus among their workers and patrons. The New York Times reports that businesses are seeking increased protections from lawsuits that could stem from businesses that become the source of outbreaks. Business owners are concerned about their potential liability if the business is identified as a potential source of COVID-19 infection. In the case of a business being identified as a source of infection, workers may, for example, be able to make a workers’ compensation claim for their sickness. But employers could also potentially face lawsuits from patrons who become sick from the virus while patronizing a particular establishment linked to an outbreak. Lawmakers face a unique challenge in the coming weeks and months as they balance the need of businesses to take steps to prevent infections among workers and patrons, while also giving business owners the confidence they need to re-open the economy. Another question that will likely get answered in the coming weeks is what will happen when if a worker contracts the virus on the job, but isn’t covered by workers’ compensation. Will this worker have the right to pursue a lawsuit against the employer? The workers’ compensation lawyers at Orlando R. Murillo, P.A. in Miami, Florida are taking cases from workers who believe they contracted coronavirus on the job who need assistance with denied workers’ compensation claims or with reaching a settlement for their medical bills, lost wages, and other costs as a result of contracting the coronavirus on the job.
Coronavirus, Workers’ Compensation, and Business Lawsuits in Miami, Florida
Many aspects of coronavirus liability for employers and employees remain unanswered. However, when it comes to workers’ compensation, we do have answers and workers do enjoy some protections under this insurance. Fortunately, when it comes to workers’ compensation protections, workers who are employed in high risk fields and those who may have been potentially exposed to coronavirus on the job may have the right to seek compensation for their lost wages, medical bills, and other costs. Orlando R. Murillo, P.A. is a workers’ compensation law firm in Miami, Florida that may be able to help you and your family seek answers if you or someone you love contracted COVID-19 while on the job. Reach out to our lawyers today or connect with USAttorneys.com to get matched with an attorney at Orlando R. Murillo, P.A.
