On-the-Job Injuries in the Healthcare Industry: Your Rights to Maryland Workers’ Compensation

Healthcare workers dedicate their careers to caring for others. However, the physical and emotional demands of the job put them at serious risk of injury.

From lifting patients to exposure to infectious disease, medical workers face hazards that most people never encounter in the workplace. Our experienced Maryland workers’ compensation attorney explains the risks, benefits available, and how to protect your rights in a claim.

Common Risks Maryland Healthcare Workers Face on the Job

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that workers in the healthcare and social service industries experience one of the highest rates of work-related injuries, with nearly 600,000 cases reported annually. Common ways injuries can happen:

• Lifting and repositioning patients or moving heavy machinery and supplies.
• Slips, trips, and falls due to wet floors, cluttered hallways, or uneven surfaces in fast-paced clinical environments.
• Needlestick injuries expose workers to bloodborne pathogens and infectious diseases.
• Repetitive motion injuries occur from prolonged standing, bending, or performing the same tasks over long shifts.
• Exposure to hazards, such as radiation or harsh chemicals.
• Workplace violence from patients, visitors, or others in crisis.

If you get hurt on the job, report it to your supervisor immediately. Getting medical care right away and following your doctor’s instructions help protect your rights in a Maryland workers’ compensation claim.

Maryland Workers’ Compensation Benefits For Injured Healthcare Workers

Under the Maryland Workers’ Compensation Act, most employers must carry workers’ comp insurance. Injured medical workers have the right to file a claim, regardless of how their injuries happened. Benefits available include:

• Medical benefits cover all care and treatment relating to your injuries, including emergency room visits, consultations with specialists, surgery, and ongoing rehabilitation.
• Temporary total disability benefits replace a portion of your lost wages while you are completely unable to work.
• Temporary partial disability benefits compensate you if you can return to work but in a reduced capacity and earn less than you did before the injury.
• Permanent partial disability benefits for lasting impairments that prevent you from performing certain types of job tasks.
• Vocational rehabilitation services are available if your injury prevents you from returning to your previous healthcare role and you need training for a different position.

To protect your rights in a claim, take photos and use a journal to document how your injuries happened and the impact they have on your health and activities. If the insurer tries to deny or dispute your claim, get professional legal help right away.

Request a Consultation With an Experienced Maryland Workers’ Compensation Attorney

Healthcare workers give everything to their patients. When a workplace injury happens, you deserve the same level of care and support in return.

At Berman, Sobin, Gross, Feldman & Darby LLP, our experienced Maryland workers’ compensation attorney understands the unique challenges medical workers face when filing injury claims and fights to make sure they receive the benefits they need to recover. Don’t wait to get legal help. Reach out today to request a consultation.

Source:

bls.gov/opub/ted/2024/health-care-and-social-assistance-had-562500-injuries-and-illnesses-in-2023-fewer-than-in-2022.htm