New York, NY – Most people know that workers’ comp provides coverage if you hurt your back lifting something heavy at work. But did you know that workers’ comp can also cover you if you have a heart attack while lifting something heavy at work?
Workers’ compensation covers any injury that happens while you are working and because of the work. That isn’t limited to things like back injuries, sprained knees, broken fingers and the like – it can include things like asthma, heart attacks, and strokes.
In a claim for a work-related heart attack, the worker needs to show that there was a physical or emotional stress at work that played a role in causing the heart attack. Lifting heavy objects, working in very hot or very cold weather, or working in extraordinarily stressful situations can all qualify as the basis for a case. And while most people who suffer from a heart attack also have a pre-existing condition (like high blood pressure), that does not disqualify someone from workers’ compensation. The law does not require the work event to be the only cause of the injury – it only requires the work event to be one cause of the injury.
Although employers and insurance companies often contest complex claims like heart attack cases, workers are frequently successful where there is good evidence about the work-related stress and proper medical evidence.
Robert Grey is the managing partner of Grey & Grey, LLP and has been representing injured workers for over 30 years. For more information about workers’ compensation, personal injury, or social security disability, visit www.GreyAndGrey.com or email info@GreyAndGrey.com.
