Canton, Ohio, Workers' Compensation Blog

Finding yourself in poor health is never an ideal situation. It can make it difficult to do much of anything including work and enjoy leisure time with loved ones and friends. If your injury has persisted one year or more, you may be wondering about the potential long-term possibility of living this version of your life. Finding a way to make ends meet can feel impossible if you aren't able to work due to your injury or health condition.

Social Security disability exists to bridge the gap for those who are suffering from health issues. Poor health tends to get in their way of working and earning a living wage. If you're looking at Social Security disability for the first time, this is likely all new to you. You may be confused about how the process works, the questions you're asked and how to adequately prove that you qualify to receive disability benefits.

Being injured or made ill on the job is always a difficult situation to assess. There are common concerns such as how long the problem will last, what the medical considerations are, what can happen if the workers cannot get back to the same job, what the financial situation will be and more. Workers' compensation benefits are in place to help Ohio workers make ends meet financially and get the medical care they need. However, it is important to understand that each worker's circumstances are different. Not all workers fit in the same category, so it is vital to know that the workers' compensation benefits can be tailored -- within reason -- to suit the individual.

One benefit workers can use is "remain at work." With remain at work, an employee who can stay on the job as they recover. There are criteria that must be met. The injured worker can only have a medical claim meaning they missed seven or fewer days of work because of the injury. They must remain at work but have difficulty and are at risk of needing time off again. The Managed Care Organization (MCO) oversees the remain at work program.

Ohio workers who are injured on the job and need medical treatment will use their workers' compensation benefits to receive it. Medical expenses and lost wages are covered under workers' compensation. If there are no disputes regarding the injuries and the employer or insurer approves the workers' compensation benefits, there should be no problem. The proper treatment is imperative to the worker getting back to full health and, if possible, getting back on the job.

Still, not every case is the same and there can be disagreements regarding various aspects of a workers' compensation claim in relation to the injuries. If there is a dispute between the worker and the insurer or employer about a decision on the workers' compensation claim, knowing how to appeal is key. Treatment decisions are made by the managed care organization (MCO). When there is a disagreement, the worker can use the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) process.

It is important to remember that not all injuries in the workplace involve heavy machinery or repetitive stress injuries. For example, a workplace accident occurred at the Addipel resin pellits facility in Elyria, Ohio, in which a worker suffered burn injuries following a chemical mixing incident. Workers were mixing several chemicals, including crodamide, akawax-c powder, cellcom-obsh and vicrom. The chemical mixture reacted, causing the worker to be burned.

When firefighters arrived at the facility, there was a great amount of smoke, although the smoke did not pose a hazard to rescue crews. In addition, the chemicals at issue did not pose a risk to the area in which the incident occurred. The worker at issue suffered second-degree burns and was taken to a local medical facility. The incident is being investigated.