Florida Workers’ Compensation Attorneys for First Responders with Cancer

The Unique Health Risks First Responders Face

 Long term exposure to things like car fires and burning buildings, as well as the flame retardants that might be present at events such as these, can cause there to be toxic smoke in the air. Along with this smoke, there are a myriad of other hazardous chemicals in the air, including the exhaust from diesel trucks that are idling nearby during these events. These toxins can sit on the skin and absorb through there as well as enter the body through the air passageways. First responders not only experience long-term exposure to extreme stress, they also have an increased risk of cancer because of exposure to toxins.

The Risk of the Job

First responders definitely have an increased risk of developing certain types of cancers that include but are not limited to melanomas, lung, brain, colon, kidney, prostate etc. There have been many studies done regarding the increased risk of developing cancer among first responders across a variety of professions:

• For firefighters there is a 60% increased for developing lung cancer
• For law-enforcement there is a 25% increased risk for developing cancer
• For female firefighters, they are six times more likely to develop breast cancer
• For firefighters who have served after 20 years there is an increased risk for non-Hodgkin lymphoma colon and kidney cancer
• For firefighters who have served over 30 years there is an increased risk of developing leukemia brain cancer and lymphoma

If first responders have had a history of smoking in their lifetime in addition to the exposure to hazardous material in their jobs, they have an increased risk of developing smoking-related cancers such as lung cancer.

If you suffer from cancer and you believe that it was based on your service as a first responder, our Florida workers’ compensation attorneys for first responders with cancer would love to hear from you to get started on building a strong foundation for your case during a free consultation. We understand that you might hesitate to reach out but we are here for you when you are ready and we hope that you do so as soon as you possibly can so that we can get started right away. Your case is important to us. You are not just a file number to us. You are a brave and dedicated hero of our community and we want to help you get the workers’ compensation that you deserve.

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Starting Your Treatment

Hopefully, as a first responder, you will be getting regular physicals that include cancer screenings, if you have any sort of warning signs or indicators that you might be suffering from cancer. We want you to get that diagnosis sooner rather than later so that you can begin your treatment right away. Every year you should be going to a doctor’s office to get a screening even if it’s just a physical to check for lumps and bumps and abnormalities. You should always be very honest with your healthcare providers and let them know if you have a family history of cancer. You should also make them aware of the stress that you undergo due to your job as a first responder so that they can better care for you and identify the early warning signs of cancer. During your yearly exam, you want them to include the following:

• A full physical
• A full lab panel of blood and urine tests
• Breathing test
• A chest x-ray every five years and a CT when needed
• Cancer screenings for the main types of cancer including prostate, breast, cervical, colon and lung

We understand that it is a scary process to sit down and find out you have cancer. We are deeply sorry that this is your reality but we understand that it is the job of the insurance company to provide you with the workers’ compensation that you need in this time so you can get the necessary financial relief. We don’t want you to go without this type of compensation and not be able to get the treatment that you deserve to get. We need to treat our first responders like family because of how much they help our community. Our lawyers want to do that for you. We want to fight for you to get the help you deserve like we would for our own family and just like what you do for our families.

File Your Claim as Soon as Possible

 Having your claim filed as soon as possible means that we have more time to put together a strong case, which gives you the best chance at a fair outcome. We know that stepping down to take medical care for cancer can often mean that you have to reduce your workload or take a break all together. A lot of people don’t want to do this because it means that they can’t continue doing the job they want to do.

We know how much you and your fellow first responders do for our community and how you make us all safer but your health should not suffer because of it. We want you to get the help that you deserve and the help that you need. Sometimes, that means making yourself a priority. We understand that it is a hard decision to make and that hearing you have cancer is life-altering. We want to make your life is easier at this moment and take care of your workers’ compensation so that you can focus on yourself and your family and living your new normal.

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Call Our Florida Workers Compensation Lawyers for First Responders with Cancer Today

If you have been diagnosed with cancer and you believe that it is based on your work as a first responder and the carcinogens you have been exposed to on the job, please get in contact with our Florida workers’ compensation lawyers for first responders with cancer as soon as possible. We want to hear about your case and give you the guidance that you need in order to receive the compensation you deserve. We will stand by your side and guide you every step of the way for you to get full and fair results. Call us today to set up your free initial consultation

Frequently Asked Cancer Questions

What is an occupational disease as it relates to first responders?

We were recently contacted by a personal injury attorney who was referring a physical injury for a Florida first responder, and he asked us a very good question as to what other types of injuries may be available for Florida first responders. We explained that there could be repetitive physical injuries, exposure types of claims. There’s presumption claims such as hypertension and heart disease. There’s mental health claims, PTSD, and cancer for firefighters.

If you have any of these types of claims, please call us at Oliver and Fox for a free consultation.

What conditions are presumed to be work-related for first responders in Florida?

We were talking to an attorney the other day that inquired as to what would constitute a workers’ compensation case, claim, or injury. There are many types of cases, many types of claims, especially for first responders. You can have just a regular physical injury; you can have a repetitive trauma injury, meaning knees, think carpal tunnel syndrome, and it can occur in your back or neck as well; you can also have heart/lung, high blood pressure, hypertension, heart disease. All of those are covered under special first responder statutes, the Heart/Lung Bill. There’s also cancer for firefighters and mental health, PTSD, for all first responders.

These benefits are available, and they do constitute workers’ compensation benefits. You may be entitled to benefits and just not be aware of it. Please feel free to contact us for a free consultation at Oliver and Fox.

Can my first responder workers’ comp claim be denied if I do not report the injury in time?

We had a client who injured his back in a fire call. He thought that it was not a big deal and kind of shrugged it off. In his follow-up, however, he realized he had more significant injuries. Unfortunately, he did not initially report his injury or the tweak to his back and, as result of not reporting the tweak, the carrier denied his claim for untimely notice. It is important in Florida when you receive an injury or incur an injury that you timely report that to you supervisor contemporaneous with the event.

If you’ve suffered an injury, you’ve reported that to your supervisor, and no action has been taken, we can help you. If you would like to contact our office, we can make sure that benefits are provided. If you fail to timely report the injury and are seeking treatment, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

Do I need to report my injury to my captain as a first responder?

We had a client who recently met with us, and he had a heart attack while he was not on duty. Is it important in Florida to file a first report of injury regarding your injury? Whether you have a physical injury, such as a broken arm or broken leg, that occurs on duty as a first responder, or whether you have injuries such as a heart attack, hypertension, PTSD or similar injuries that occur either on or off duty, it is important and mandatory to file that first report of injury to notify the employer of your injury. At Oliver and Fox, We can help file your first report of injury and make sure that your benefits are provided pursuant to your report of your injury.

How do I choose the best workers’ compensation attorney for first responders in Florida?

In choosing the right attorney to represent an injured first responder regarding a workers’ compensation claim, it’s important to select an attorney that is well-versed not only in workers’ comp, but also can handle the issues regarding the agency and potentially pension issues. A lot of times our clients come to us and they have injuries, and we are able to provide their benefits and put them back to work relatively easy and quickly with no issues. However, there are occasions when an injured first responder cannot return back to work, and this affects not only their employment but as well as potential pension issues within line-of-duty disability pension.

We invite you to call our firm so that we can discuss these options, whether your injury is relatively small or catastrophic, where we can help with those recommendations.

As a first responder, if I am diagnosed with cancer, can I qualify for workers’ compensation in Florida?

We were recently contacted by another attorney regarding the cancer presumption and first responders. We advised that attorney that cancer presumption is unique in that it’s an opt-out of the workers’ compensation system, meaning that the Florida statutes provide presumptive coverage for firefighters if they develop cancer and meet the qualifying criteria. However, it is an opt-out of the workers’ compensation system, meaning that they’re not provided workers’ compensation benefits, but they are provided benefits pursuant to the statute.

If you are a firefighter who has been diagnosed with cancer and think that it is related to your employment as a firefighter, we invite you to contact us so we can discuss your options.

What is important to know about heart-related diseases that may qualify for workers’ comp for first responders in Florida?

We often speak at union halls and are questioned about the Heart/Lung Bill. Most of the union members do not know that there is a Heart Bill that gives a presumption that any hypertension or heart disease that a first responder in Florida may develop through their career may very well be covered, and medical care may have to be provided for the rest of their life, as well as potential lost wage and permanent impairment and impairment benefits.

Please call us at Oliver and Fox. We would be very happy to explain what benefits may be available to you under the Florida first responder Heart/Lung Bill.

Do I have to see a company doctor for medical treatment of a work-related injury as a first responder?

One of the most common questions we’re asked by first responders in Florida, and any injured worker in Florida, is whether or not they need to see the work-designated doctor or the insurance company designated doctor. The short answer is yes. It is basically a gatekeeper or mother-may-I system. We need to go through their initial doctor, and the workers’ compensation judge per the statute can only listen to authorized workers’ compensation doctors. If that initial doctor makes a referral, for example, for an orthopedic specialist, the employer then gets to designate who that orthopedic specialist is going to be, as well.

There are means and ways to go ahead and seek treatment outside of the system in addition to what you’re receiving through workers’ comp and the workers’ comp authorized providers, but, in general, they will not be paid by workers’ comp. Only the workers’ comp authorized doctors, that primary care and any specialists that they authorize, follow it.

Again, the short answer is, yes, you do need to follow through and seek the workers’ compensation doctors, but there are alternatives. Please call us at Oliver and Fox, and we’d be happy to explain them to you.