Police and Firefighter Injuries – How a Lancaster Workers’ Compensation Attorney Can Help

Every single day that they head off to work, police officers and firefighters put their lives and well-being on the line. Day in and day out, firefighters and police officers are exposed to traumatic situations that put them in harm’s way. They take on their role with courage, bravery, and commitment to the communities that they serve, and unfortunately their efforts often result in injuries. In the state of Pennsylvania, when these public servants are injured or sickened on the job, they are covered under the same workers’ compensation policy that almost every other worker in the state is. They are eligible to receive reimbursement for their medical expense after filing a workers’ compensation claim, and are also eligible to receive payment for lost wages if their injury. Unfortunately, as is true for other employees, there are some instances when these claims filed for police and firefighter injuries are denied by their employer or their employer’s insurance company. When this happens, the attorneys at Vanasse Law, LLC can provide the guidance and representation that they need.

By their job definition police officers and firefighters are both responsible for keeping citizens safe. Ironically and at times tragically, they are often the ones who end up getting hurt while fulfilling their duties. The most obvious potential injuries faced by police officers include assaults, gun shots, stabbings, and car accidents, but just as is true for workers in other occupations, they are also at risk for overexertion injuries and stress. They run the risk of being exposed to dangerous chemicals or toxins, and unique to their positions they are at risk for exposure to radiation from traffic radar devices. Firefighters are most obviously at risk for burns, smoke inhalation and injuries sustained from the collapse of the buildings that they rush into, but they also are at risk for strains, sprains and muscular pain from overexertion and cancer due to exposure from hazardous condition such as the presence of asbestos or other toxins. Both groups are at risk for exposure to infectious diseases such as hepatitis, meningitis, HIV, and others.

Firefighters in the state of Pennsylvania have special rights when it comes to the risk of occupationally-caused cancer. A law was created in 2011 that established cancer as a compensable disease for firefighters who have spent four or more years in continuous firefighting duties and who can prove exposure to a Group 1 carcinogen.

Firefighters and police officers who have been injured on the job are encouraged to seek legal advice regarding their workplace injury or illness in order to ensure that all paperwork is in order and deadlines are met. Having an attorney by your side is the best way to ensure that your rights are protected and that you get the compensation that you deserve.  The attorneys at Vanasse Law, LLC are committed to providing all of our clients with the information and knowledgeable counsel that they need. Contact us today to book a free consultation.