ABB Power T&D Employee's Hesitation Costs Him Greatly
Workers compensation laws in Missouri require employers to compensate employees for costs associated with workplace injuries. Medical costs, temporary disability costs and some permanent disability costs are included through workers compensation laws.
Employees automatically have a right to recover for work-related injuries in Missouri; however, when an injury causes future illnesses or health conditions, it must be proven that the illness was directly caused by the initial work injury. This requirement can cause complexities because health issues can be linked to other factors, like heredity or preexisting conditions. Meaning, timely medical assistance and reports are important, not only to aid your injury but also in proving future related health conditions.
In a recent Missouri case, Kliethermes v. ABB Power T&D, an employee suffered from several heart complications after an electrical injury he received on the job. The problem in this case was that the plaintiff was unable to prove in court that his heart conditions were causally connected to the workplace injury suffered because he didn’t seek immediate medical attention.
The facts of the case are as follows: The plaintiff previously had a heart condition, which doctors classified to be mild as he still participated in regular work activities as well as cardiovascular exercise without difficulty or strain. Plaintiff, received an electrical shock due to unsafe conditions while at work, throwing him against a barrier fence. The plaintiff was unable to work after the injury, feeling extremely weak and tired. He was later hospitalized for uncontrollable heart conditions after medicine was unable to stabilize his heart and blood pressure.
The plaintiff’s doctor testified that the workplace injury had drastically altered plaintiff’s heart conditions. His heart was no longer stable, and his heart conditions were classified as substantial instead of minimal.
It would seem as though the change in the plaintiff’s health after the electrical injury would allow him to recover for medical expenses and disability costs under workers compensation laws. However, the court in this case was unable to establish if the heart conditions were directly the result of the electric shock. This conclusion was partially based on the fact that enough medical records were not immediately taken, establishing that the drastically worsened conditions occurred directly after the incident. The medical records were taken after a lapse of time because the plaintiff didn’t initially think the injury was going to be so severe.
Experienced workers’ compensation lawyers are a necessity when a workplace injury occurs. Page || Cagle is a Missouri personal injury law firm that handles workers compensation cases for people injured in the course of employment.
John has successfully handled several workers compensation claims and encourages anyone with questions to directly contact him through the online contact form found on his Workers Compensation website. John can be also reached by calling 314.322.8515 or toll free at 1.800.500.4658. Email john@pagecagle.com.
Page || Cagle is located at 1232 Washington Ave., Suite 220, St. Louis, MO 63103.
