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In some industries, employees are exposed to toxic chemicals and substances regularly. Unfortunately, toxic exposure could lead to severe, life-changing injuries or even death. Every employer must ensure their workers have a safe environment to work in. But sometimes, such safety precautions are not enough to protect employees from being exposed to toxic chemicals and sustaining injuries. In those cases, it’s best to hire a toxic exposure lawyer in Jersey City.

A good attorney who specializes in toxic exposure cases is ready to help an injured worker file a workers’ compensation claim, so they can seek the necessary benefits. During an initial consultation with an attorney, a client can learn about their possible legal options for free. 

Common Workplace Toxic Exposures

Exposure to toxic chemicals can take place because of sudden accidental spills or occur slowly as employees ingest chemical particles, inhale hazardous fumes, or absorb chemicals through their skin. Workers can be exposed to chemicals such as arsenic, ethylene oxide, benzene, asbestos, mercury, diacetyl, chloroform, and others. Prolonged exposure to these chemicals can result in severe injuries or illnesses like lung cancer, skin cancer, mesothelioma, skin itching and inflammation, occupational skin disease, neurological issues, and more. 

How to Handle Toxic Exposure

If you sustained injuries due to toxic chemical exposure on the job, get medical care right away. A doctor can evaluate your condition and give you a treatment plan to follow. Also, you must notify your employer about your injury as soon as possible. In New Jersey, you only have 14 days to report an injury at work and the clock starts ticking from the date the injury was discovered. Your employer may refer you to a doctor the workers’ compensation system authorizes for treatment.

If even safety precautions are taken by your employer, you can still file a worker’s comp claim if your injuries resulted from toxic chemical exposure. Recovering workers’ comp is not fault-based, which means you do not need to prove the negligence of your employer. You only need to prove you were exposed to toxic chemicals during the scope and course of your work that cause you to sustain an injury or illness. 

What Benefits Can You Get?

After sustaining injuries due to toxic chemical exposure, you may be entitled to worker’s compensation. This compensation can provide you with benefits for:

• Medical expense. Your employer and their insurance company must pay for your necessary medical care to treat your toxic-exposure-related injury at work. Your medical benefits may include hospital stays, surgeries, medical tests, doctors’ visits, treatment-related travel costs, and prescription medicines.
• Wage replacement. As you recover from your injuries, you may be entitled to temporary total or partial disability benefits or 2/3 of your average weekly wage.  Temporary benefits will end once you reach maximum medical improvement. If you sustained a permanent injury, your disability pay would be based on the severity of your injury.