Florida Workers’ Compensation Lawyers for First Responders with Lung Disease
Law Office in Tampa, FL
If you have been diagnosed with lung disease and you believe it is due to your work as a first responder, you may be looking for help from Florida workers’ compensation lawyers for first responders with lung disease. We want to be by your side as you take the steps needed toward recovery. We understand how insurance companies handle cases like yours and we want to make sure you get full and fair compensation for your damages.
Among the many hazards that first responders encounter, the chemicals and smoke they are exposed to, especially for firefighters, can cause lung disease.
If you suffer lung disease due to your work as a first responder, please don’t hesitate to get into contact with our office as soon as possible. We want to help you get the results you deserve. Reach out today to set up your free initial consultation.
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Firefighters Are at a Higher Risk for Having Lung Disease
Due to the frequent exposure to hazardous materials such as carbon monoxide, as well as a variety of different airborne hazards including asbestos and hydrogen cyanide, being a firefighter is extremely dangerous for lung health and can raise the risk of developing cancer. If you envision a house fire with all of the objects inside the home that are not meant to burn or safe to burn because of the chemicals they released when they burn, realize that firefighters are exposed to those circumstances frequently. Long-term exposure to situations like that have been linked to an increased risk of lung issues such as:
- Chronic cough or hoarseness
- Allergies
- Asthma
The more severe health risks for firefighters may include the following:
- Certain types of cancers including lung
- Autoimmune disorders
- Diseases of the respiratory system
The chemical makeup of smoke is so hazardous because it involves something called particle pollution, which is essentially a blend of solid and liquid particles in the air that are small enough to get deep into the lungs and lodge in there. When firefighters are inhaling air like this which is hazardous and/or carcinogenic, that poses a risk to their health.
Along with the hazards of the house or building fire that they’re responding to, firefighters are also exposed to a carcinogen from their own trucks that are sitting there idling while they are in the station or at a fire. Diesel exhaust is a known carcinogen and it is important for you to be aware of all of the hazards that you were exposed to so you know what the health risks are.
Our Florida workers’ compensation lawyers for first responders with lung disease are more than happy to sit down during your free consultation and give you the answers that you’ve been looking for.
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Lung Health Dangers of Being a First Responder
Being around poor air quality constantly on your job with smoke and chemicals and pollutants could have an extensive impact on your bodily functions and health. This is what you need to know about the possible health implications that you face due to your job as a firefighter. You need to discuss the matter with your doctor to get a full scope of what you’re up against with regards to your health. Once our Florida workers’ compensation lawyers for first responders with lung disease can get a better idea of your damages, then we can get to work on valuing your claim sooner.
Short term exposure, such as inhaling smoke from a fire, pollutants, and hazardous chemicals might result in the following:
- Persistent cough
- Wheezing
- Buildup of phlegm
- Shortness of breath
- Worsening of asthma you already had
- Bronchitis
The health effects of the long-term exposure particular for firefighters is still being studied. Right now, the data can show that being a firefighter correlates with a higher chance of dying of cancer, including lung cancer. If you have been a firefighter for a very long time, it’s important that you get screened for lung cancer, especially if you are in a high-risk demographic. High-risk people would be older people who have had a history of smoking. If you believe that you might suffer from long-term lung disease or lung cancer, it’s important that you get in contact with your doctor right away.
Be on the Look for Early Lung Disease Warning Signs
If you are a first responder, in particular a firefighter, you need to be on the lookout for the warning signs of lung disease if you have yet to be diagnosed. If you are coughing constantly or you have wheezing going on you might think that it’s nothing to worry about, but this is one of the most important first signs of lung disease that you need to be paying attention to. When you go to your doctor you need to tell them everything about you, including how long you’ve worked as a first responder or firefighter. Make sure you’re getting frequent periodic tests for lung function. This might reveal lung disease early.
File Your Claim Right Away
We want to see you get the compensation you need and that means you should file your claim as soon as possible. We understand that first responders are typically people who fight for their communities to be safe. Especially for firefighters, who are there to essentially rescue lives and homes, taking a step away from the job can feel wrong. And we understand that when you file your workers’ compensation claim it typically means getting in to see the doctor and having them tell you that you need to take time off of work to recover, even if it’s temporary. This can be a very difficult decision for first responders and firefighters in particular because that means that the help you give your community is delayed or stopped. We know that you want to continue to do your job but we also know that you cannot perform a job if you are ill. We encourage you to take the proper steps to get the help you need and the compensation you deserve so that you can start feeling better and hopefully you can return eventually to work better than you were before.
Call Our Florida Workers’ Compensation Lawyers for First Responders with Lung Disease Today
If you have been diagnosed with lung disease and you believe that it is based on your work as a first responder, especially if you are a firefighter, please get in contact with our Florida workers’ compensation lawyers for first responders with lung disease as soon as you possibly can. 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 Lung Disease Questions
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.
Am I eligible for the heart and lung bill even though I didn’t miss time from work as a first responder?
Our firm was recently contacted by a Florida first responder who asked if he may be eligible for the Heart Bill, even though he did not miss time from work because of the hypertension or heart disease that he had. In that situation, he had actually had a visit to the hospital and been put on medication, but it was during his days off. He still is eligible for the first responder Heart Bill in Florida.
These types of cases are often improperly denied. Please call us at Oliver and Fox. We would be happy to discuss how to get you your benefits in this situation.
What are the 4 elements of the heart and lung bill relative to first responder workers’ comp in Florida?
We are often asked, “How do we qualify for the Florida Heart/Lung Bill?” Florida first responders are entitled to coverage, medical care, for life, plus potential lost wages and impairment benefits if they do qualify. To qualify, you have to basically meet a four-prong test. You have to be part of the protected class, that being a first responder, a firefighter, a law enforcement officer of corrections. You have to have a clean pre-employment physical upon entering into service; that means your physical does not show any hypertension or heart disease. You have to then develop that condition of hypertension or heart disease, and that has to cause some inability to do your full job duties. If that has happened and if those four criteria are met, the presumption then shifts the burden to the employer and they have to prove that the condition is not work-related, and that is very difficult for them to do.
Please call us at Oliver and Fox. We’d be very happy to discuss how you may be eligible for benefits under the Heart/Lung Bill.
What conditions are presumed to be work-related for first responders in Florida?
We are often asked, with regard to fault in workers’ comp, whether you can still make a claim. The fault in workers’ comp should not matter. There are extenuating circumstances, but most of the time fault is not taken into account and workers’ compensation benefits are available regardless of whether you may be at fault or not, that includes, in a car accident for example, where you can be found at-fault for the car accident but still be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits.
We often have multiple party types of accidents as well, where there could be a slip and fall, or a trip, or, again, like a motor vehicle accident, so whether you caused the accident, were a victim, or no one was at fault, you may be eligible for workers’ comp benefits. Please contact us at Oliver and Fox. We’d be very happy to discuss this with you.
What injuries and illnesses are covered 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.
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.
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.
How long do I have to file a first responder workers’ compensation claim in Florida?
We had a client who reached out to us because he suffered an injury, and he wanted to know how long he had to report that claim. The answer to that question is very complicated in Florida because depending upon when the claim occurred, if treatment was provided or if notification was provided to a supervisor, the answer could vary. In addition, Florida has a requirement that on all compensable claims that you must treat one time per year in order to keep the claim open. Unfortunately, we see oftentimes and individual have a workers’ compensation claim, however those benefits lapse because they do not keep up with their annual treatment.
If you would like to reach out and contact us, we can tell you whether or not you have made a viable claim and, if your treatment has lapsed or if your treatment has not lapsed or even if it has lapsed, look at ways we can help assist you to make sure you’re getting medical care and benefits.
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.
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