Many people think you can only collect workers’ compensation if you are physically injured or become very ill while working on a job site in Pennsylvania. But you can collect workers’ comp benefits if you suffer a heart attack while working, too, if it can be proved that the cardiac injury was directly related to the job that you do. In some cases, you might even be able to collect benefits if you have the heart attack after you have completed your work for the day.
Proving that your heart attack was work-related
In order to collect workers’ compensation benefits in Philadelphia, you must show that:
- You were hurt as a result of the job you were doing,
- Your job caused you to aggravate a pre-existing injury or illness, or
- You become ill because of conditions at your job
If you suffer a heart attack at work, you need to talk to your doctor about getting your medical records so you can file a workers’ compensation claim. Your doctor will testify – either in a document to include in your application, or potentially at a hearing – that your attack was directly related to your job.
Philadelphia workers at risk
Heart attacks can be brought on by strenuous activity or stress. The Philadelphia workers most at risk of having a heart attack while on the job include:
- Construction workers
- Factory workers
- Contractors
- Landscapers
- Waste management employees
- Security guards
- Food service employees
If you work in a job where you must carry heavy loads, or have a lot of stress, you may be at risk of a heart attack.
Workers’ compensation death benefits may also be available to spouses whose partners died as a result of their work. PennLive recently reported on a woman whose husband died from a heart attack during a 14 hour shift working for the Lower Bucks County Joint Municipal Authority. The Commonwealth Court judge sided with the widow, and awarded her death benefits.
At Larry Pitt & Associates, our Philadelphia workers’ compensation lawyers help families just like yours obtain the benefits they need after suffering a work-related illness or injury. If you or your spouse had a heart attack on the job, we want to help. Please contact us to make an appointment at one of our many offices serving clients in Bucks, Berks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia Counties.
