Front-banner

Workers’ Compensation for Coronavirus in Ohio

Horenstein, Nicholson & Blumenthal LPA /  Workers’ Compensation /  Common Injuries /  Workers’ Compensation for Coronavirus in Ohio

Another Source of Financial Support during the Pandemic

On the other side of the coronavirus crisis is a life with less worry and less pain.

And you and your family may have another way to get there financially, which doesn’t get a lot of attention in the news: workers’ compensation benefits for people in high-risk jobs.

If you or a loved one contracted COVID-19 in a work setting with an unusual risk of exposure, these benefits could provide:

  • Payment for lost wages
  • Medical costs
  • Vocational rehabilitation to return to a new job if needed
  • Wage-reduction compensation to make up for any loss of earning power from a prolonged illness
  • Permanent partial disability to cover long-term effects of your illness
  • Permanent total disability to provide life-long payment when you can’t work again
  • Death benefits if you lost a loved one to COVID-19 after they were infected in a qualifying work environment

The news talks about various kinds of special financial aid to help with the economic damage of the pandemic, but don’t overlook the workers’ comp system, which was in place long before all this started. It can make a big difference during a hard time for your family.

If you have an existing workers’ comp claim, unrelated to the coronavirus, you also should know that the Ohio workers’ comp system continues to function and process cases.

The Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation issued a fact sheet on its coronavirus operations. You can read that information here.

The Ohio workers’ compensation lawyers at Horenstein, Nicholson & Blumenthal know how to build a claim for coronavirus—and how to keep your claim alive during shutdowns and online-only operations.

Our mission is helping hardworking Ohioans. As they say, “Helping Me, That’s HNB.”

Call Us Today!  Call Us Today! 

    How Do I Qualify for Ohio Workers’ Compensation Benefits with Coronavirus (COVID-19)?

    Your work environment is the first qualification for coronavirus workers’ comp in Ohio.

    If the risk of exposure in your workplace is no different than the general public, the BWC says you probably don’t have a workers’ comp claim.

    But if your job involves an unusual hazard for contracting COVID-19, you may be able to get benefits.

    These are the basic requirements:

    • You faced a greater than normal risk of exposure because of the work you do. This includes jobs such as health care workers, first responders and nursing home workers.
    • You have a doctor’s opinion that you got infected at work.
    • Your work-related illness will keep you out of work for at least seven days.

    Coronavirus is an occupational disease claim under Ohio workers’ compensation law.

    Your case officially begins from the moment your disease was first diagnosed, when you first received medical treatment for it, or when you had to leave work, the BWC says.

    Fault or negligence by your employer doesn’t matter. Under workers’ comp, you don’t have to prove that they failed to protect you and your co-workers from the virus.

    You only have to show that your health was damaged at work. That’s it.

    If you’re in a high-risk occupation like health care, you’re one of the heroes of this historic crisis. We all owe you deep gratitude for the way you’re fighting for the rest of us.

    At HNB, we’re determined to help you get the support you need.

    We can start by evaluating your case for free.

    Get My Free Case Evaluation!  
    A man in scrubs looks at a tablet computer held by a woman with a stethoscope. The medical professionals’ workers’ compensation lawyers at Horenstein, Nicholson & Blumenthal fight for all the benefits due to you.

    Workers’ Comp Death Benefits for Coronavirus in Ohio

    It’s heartbreaking to watch the loss of life caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

    If this tragedy touched your family, we’re so sorry. Nothing we say can take away the pain. But there is something we can do to help support your family through this sad time.

    You may be able to receive workers’ comp death benefits, which in some cases can last a lifetime. That’s an extremely valuable source of support, and the workers’ compensation lawyers at HNB know how to get everything you deserve.

    This is how death benefits work:

    • If a worker died from a work-related coronavirus infection that qualified for workers’ comp, dependents can receive death benefits.
    • Dependents include spouses, children under 18 and children under 25 if they are full-time students.
    • The BWC will divide benefits among all eligible dependents.
    • If a spouse isn’t remarried, he or she can receive lifelong benefits.
    • Even if the worker died from a cause different from their workplace illness, workers’ comp still pays the unpaid portion of the benefits due the worker at the time of their death.
    • The BWC also may reimburse your family for medical and funeral expenses, up to a limit set by the state.

    A workers’ compensation attorney from HNB can explain your options, and fight to get you and your family every available form of financial assistance.

    One thing about the coronavirus: It’s shown us all that we’re in this together. In this time of loss, we’re with you. Let us help.

    Talk To Us

    Talk To Us 
    A man talks to a doctor while seated at a desk in a medical office. Horenstein, Nicholson & Blumenthal protects your rights after a truck accident.