Employees seeking workers’ compensation benefits typically need to establish a clear connection between their work and their medical challenges. Often, they have to undergo extensive medical reviews to affirm that their employment is the underlying cause of their symptoms.
Workers may spend weeks in limbo waiting to secure the benefits they need when there are questions about the origins of their conditions or the extent that those conditions affect their work capabilities. Some workers benefit from special rules when they need the support of workers’ compensation. For example, those who are first responders, specifically firefighters and police officers, have certain special protections. They may enjoy a much more straightforward claims process when they have certain medical conditions that are very likely linked to their employment.
What are presumptive injuries?
Presumptive injuries are medical conditions that are very likely the direct result of an individual’s employment. Exposure to certain hazards on the job makes it particularly likely that workers may develop certain specific medical conditions.
For example, firefighters are at increased risk of various types of cancer because they enter burning buildings or come close to vehicles that are on fire. There is also a presumption that a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) likely relates to something they may have experienced on the job.
They can potentially secure benefits simply by establishing that they have a specific medical condition. There are different presumptive conditions for different professionals. Firefighters can typically qualify quickly for benefits when they have conditions including:
- blood-borne infectious diseases, such as HIV
- cancer
- cardiac issues
- hernias
- illness caused by biochemical exposure
- Lyme disease
- meningitis
- pneumonia
- PTSD
- tuberculosis
Those with presumptive injuries usually don’t have to worry about questions regarding the origins of their conditions when they apply. Police officers have a similar but slightly different list of presumptive conditions. They can also qualify for lower-back injuries because of the heavy belts they wear while on duty.
Those who have dedicated their lives to public service should not have to worry about paying their basic household expenses or covering their healthcare costs when their careers lead to medical challenges. While the claims process can be simpler, it can still be difficult for those with PTSD, cancer and other life-altering medical conditions to manage benefits claims without support.
Workers have the right to professional assistance throughout the workers’ compensation claims process. Having the right advice and guidance can make it much easier for firefighters, police officers and others in high-risk professions to secure the support they deserve for challenging medical conditions.