Do you need help filing Occupational Disease claims in Ohio?

When someone has an accident on the job, it may be seen as a good injury claim under the Ohio system of Workers' Compensation and a claim can be filed by the Injured Worker, the emergency room and doctors or even by the employer. However, many workers develop conditions over time which require medical treatment and may even cause lost time and permanent medical damage. These conditions may be considered Occupational Diseases. These conditions are frequently not identified as work related conditions and therefore are not always timely filed. An example of an occupational disease is carpal tunnel or asbestosis.

Occupational Disease claims are the most complicated, and at times the most difficult, claims to prove. Ohio has a list of conditions that are caused by repetitious activities or exposures. While the Ohio statute lists several of these conditions, the list is old and does not take into consideration new conditions that disable injured employees. Fortunately, the statute does open the door to unlisted work environments which can harm workers, but the tests and time frames for filing them can be short.

The Occupational Disease statute also has certain limitations of benefits. Some claims can be filed in different ways which could allow the injured employee to receive better benefits such as monetary awards, rehab and specialized medical treatment. Also, medical practitioners are not generally trained to recognize occupational diseases. Often, an Occupational Disease looks the same as a disease found in the general population. This is true of many lung and heart conditions. Furthermore, some medical conditions which exist apart from work become work related because the combination of the disease and the work create different conditions or exacerbate the problem making it worse or even fatal.

Kendis, O’Brien & Stanek are known for their knowledge of work conditions and diseases that are involved in various industries. Handling Occupational Disease claims since 1933 gives them a unique background and an extensive medical and occupational library of occupational diseases. Whether it is a firefighter’s issue, chemical exposure or repetitive motion problems, their experience in Occupational Disease makes them one of the leading Workers’ Compensation law firms in the State of Ohio. Their work over their 93 years of practice has helped hundreds of employees with cancer claims, lung and heart claims, muscular claims, chemical exposures, and claims from several causes.



Because of the complicated time constraints for filing of a claim, because of the complexity of medical issues involved, because of the complexity of the Occupational Disease Statute in Ohio, the FREE consultation that Kendis, O’Brien & Stanek Co., LPA provides is ideal for any worker who believes that a medical problem may be job related.