Can I sue for getting sick at work?

No one likes getting sick and no one likes to deal with the side effects of illness. In cases where the illness is out of your hands and you have gotten ill at work, there may be some legal action that you can take. It is always best to take the time to learn just what you can do and to truly look at what steps you should take to either get compensation or to get your claim under control.

Can I Sue If I get Sick at Work?

This is a far more complicated question than you might imagine. In some cases, you can sue your employer as a result of your getting sick at work. The main thing is if your employer got you sick as a result of their own negligence. Say that you are doing normal work for your employer and you fall ill as a result of that work and of the negligence of your employer. You might have caught an illness that your employer was aware was present, you may have fallen ill as a result of workplace conditions and more.

If you plan on suing your employer for illness that was their fault, you do need to take the time to make sure that you are taking the time to build a case and find out what you can do. It is far more likely that you are going to be able to file a claim if you are injured rather than if you just get sick. When you file a worker’s compensation claim for becoming ill, you do need to take the time to consider your claim carefully and make sure that you are able to build a strong case for compensation.

What to Do?

The first step of the process is to determine what the cause of the illness is. If you are certain that you got ill at work as the direct result of something that your employer did or did not do, you can file a claim. You are likely not going to be able to file a claim if you fall ill because someone in accounting was sick and they sneezed on you. This type of claim is always better reserved for very serious illness that does take the time to heal from, that cost a great deal to treat, or that cause you to take time off of work.

Something like pneumonia, an infection or other serious illness that is the result of something that your workplace did not work to prevent might warrant a claim. If you do think that you have a right to file a claim you should take the time to get treated and to keep records for treatment and make sure that you are keeping good records of the interaction that can then be used later. You also need to make sure that you take the time to get witnesses.

In some cases, you may need written statements that corroborate your claim that you are ill as the result of something that your employer did or did not do. You can also take the time to talk with a lawyer to find out what can be done and what type of compensation you can expect to get from your claim. Workers’ comp claim cases can be very difficult to fight but if you do have the help of a good lawyer you can work through your paperwork and you can get your claim off to a good start.

What Will I Get?

The most likely result of a workers comp claim is the repayment of the cost of treating your illness. Say that you are required to stay in the hospital for a time until the illness passes and you are able to get back to work. You may be able to get back the cost of the hospital stay. Say you have to take expensive medication to help treat your illness, you may be able to get the cost of the medication back. You may also be able to get compensation for the missed work that you had to deal with and the overall costs that are associated with the illness and what you had to do to treat it and get over it.

You are not likely to get a ton of money or a huge settlement but you may be able to get the money back that you have spent to get better and to get back to work following your illness. It is always a good idea to talk with a lawyer to see just what process you need to follow and to find out what you are entitled to if you get sick at work as the result of negligence on the behalf of your employer or the working conditions that you had to deal with. Being sick is no fun, but the right help can get you your money back from treatment.