Many jobs in Georgia’s industries come with on-site dangers, including chemical exposure. Working in environments where chemicals circulate in the air, water, and elsewhere can cause chronic illnesses and life-threatening injuries that could affect workers’ long-term health. If you or a loved one is in this situation, you should not have to shoulder the financial burden of medical expenses, lost income, and pain and suffering.
A Smyrna chemical exposure injury lawyer with Bader Scott Injury Lawyers can lead your workers’ compensation case for you while you recover from your injuries. It can be difficult to move forward with action for financial recovery when you are experiencing complications from chemical exposure injuries. We can lead your case and work on your behalf to get compensation for your bills. Our personal injury law firm can advise you further during a free consultation.
Common Substances Involving Chemical Exposures at Work
When chemical exposure occurs at work, the outcome can be unpredictable, including how long it takes workers to recover. Such exposure can happen if employees work in environments without the proper equipment, such as gloves, goggles, masks, a hazmat suit, or other gear designed to protect the skin, eyes, ears, nose, and mouth.
Workers exposed to substances because the office or factory does not have proper ventilation can also suffer injury from inhaling toxic chemicals. Chemical exposures typically involve:
- Asbestos has been linked to lung diseases, including mesothelioma and lung cancer.
- Pesticides, such as herbicides, fumigants, and disinfectants, can injure the skin and enter the body through breathing.
- Mold exposure can cause breathing problems and other complications.
- Lead paint exposure can cause anemia, kidney damage, reproductive problems, and brain damage from lead poisoning, per the Cleveland Clinic.
- Toxic landfill waste – Fumes from garbage burning can create various gasses that can make anyone nearby ill. They include methane, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, ammonia, and others. Inhaling any of these gasses can harm the body.
Chemicals can also be found in groundwater or the soil of the workplace. Injuries from chemical exposure range from minor to serious. They include coughs, throat irritations, skin rashes or other irritations, burns, respiratory issues, eye irritations, and other conditions.
Seemingly minor irritations could be the sign of something more serious, so you should always seek medical help from a professional who can diagnose your condition and recommend which treatments you require. Catastrophic injuries, such as brain damage, can happen after individuals suffer exposure to toxic substances. Our injury attorneys serving Smyrna, GA, are here to recover compensation for severely injured people, too.
For a free legal consultation with a chemical exposure injury lawyer serving Smyrna, call (404) 888-8888
Seeking Workers’ Compensation for Chemical Exposure Injuries in Smyrna, GA
Financial losses are usually unavoidable after injuries on the job. If you or a loved one suffers an injury at work in Georgia, you can apply for workers’ compensation benefits. State law requires all employers in Georgia to provide these benefits if they employ three or more people, including individuals who work part-time.
Report Your Injury Promptly to Your Employer
First, you must report the injury immediately and within the 30-day period, as the law requires. Let your employer know what happened in writing. Fill out an incident report and get a copy of it. If you miss this window to report your injury, denial of your workers’ compensation benefits claim is likely.
Per the state’s workers’ compensation laws, O.C.G.A. Title 34, Chapter 9 states that workers who get hurt while working can generally seek:
Medical benefits. If you accept medical care from workers’ compensation, you must see a medical provider that your employer or its insurance company approves. Your medical care can be covered for up to 400 weeks (depending on the severity of the injury) as long as you seek treatment from an authorized physician.
Your employer should also give you a list of medical professionals who can treat you. These benefits should cover all healthcare-related costs of your job site injury, including emergency care and rehabilitation treatment.
Wage benefits. Missed time at work often means missed income. Under workers’ compensation, however, you could receive up to two-thirds of your weekly wages if your injuries keep you from returning to work. The wage benefits often have a weekly cap and can run up to 400 weeks.
Worker death benefits. If a family member suffered fatal chemical exposure injuries on the job, workers’ compensation should pay qualifying families death benefits that cover the lost loved one’s funeral and burial expenses, lost household income, final medical bills, and other losses.
Challenging a Workers’ Compensation Claim Denial in Smyrna, GA
Reporting your workplace injury does not mean you automatically receive workers’ compensation after doing so. You may not receive your benefits, or you may find that the state denies your claim. Our Smyrna workers’ compensation attorneys understand the possible outcomes in workers’ compensation cases and can navigate each hurdle.
If you haven’t heard back after applying for workers’ compensation benefits or you want to challenge the denial, you generally have one year to ask for a hearing with the State Board of Workers’ Compensation (SBWC). We can appeal your denied claim and build a case for why you should receive benefits. We can review your appeal for errors and represent you in front of the board.
Smyrna Chemical Exposure Injury Lawyer Near Me (404) 888-8888
How Our Injury Lawyers Can Lead Your Smyrna, GA, Chemical Exposure Case
Although you may be able to recover workers’ compensation, the process might take longer than you expect. Hiring an attorney to protect your rights and look out for your interests can make the process easier to manage. As mentioned earlier, employers and/or their insurers can reject claims. If this happens to you, Bader Scott Injury Lawyers will be right there to recover what you deserve.
Once we start working for you, we will:
- Speak with you to understand your account of events
- Investigate the accident to determine how the chemical exposure happened and why
- Collect evidence that supports your workers’ compensation case or personal injury lawsuit (e.g., witness statements, incident reports, police reports, surveillance camera video footage, health records, etc.)
- Talk with everyone involved in your case and take care of all calls, emails, and more
- Handle negotiations with the opposing party
- File your claim and handle all appeals, hearings, etc.
- Protect you from any claims that you caused your injuries or the chemical event that led to them
- Answer your questions and update you regularly
Third-Party Liability and Recovering Damages
If you accept workers’ compensation, you cannot sue your employer for any injuries you suffered at work. That’s why such insurance was put into place. However, workers’ compensation covers only certain losses at work. It doesn’t cover pain and suffering or other losses that a third party caused through negligence.
Third parties are anyone on the worksite who is not your employer. If we can build your case and show how they contributed to or caused the toxic exposure, you could pursue an injury lawsuit.
Third parties include any of the following:
- Property owners or property managers
- General contractor
- Subcontractors
- Equipment suppliers or manufacturers
- Substance manufacturers
- Vehicle drivers
- Product makers
Your chemical injury case could involve multiple parties. We are ready to identify them all and request compensation from each if we can determine their role in the losses you experienced.
We Can Protect You From Accepting a Too-Low Settlement
We can also weigh all potential settlement offers to ensure you receive the appropriate compensation for your recovery. We have won millions for clients who suffered on-the-job injuries, as our case results show. While each case is different, and results vary, we are serious about fighting for you as we have for our other clients.
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Call Us Today for Help From a Smyrna Chemical Exposure Lawyer
Chemical hazards are around us all the time, including at home and at work. Toxic substances can cause injuries and losses, especially when negligence occurs. If you or a loved one is recovering from an accident at work concerning dangerous chemicals, you may be eligible to receive workers’ compensation benefits or other compensation.
A Smyrna chemical exposure lawyer from Bader Scott Injury Lawyers can walk you through the workers’ compensation claims process or help you file an injury lawsuit against a third party. We can help review your next steps and take on your case while you heal. Call us today for a free, no-obligation consultation.
Call or text (404) 888-8888 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form