Women's Heart Health and Workers' Compensation
Stress on the job is something almost all of us can relate to. When you experience stressors at work, it affects your whole body, including your heart health. If you wonder, is a heart attack at work covered by workers' compensation? The short answer is yes. Let's get into how heart attack and stroke affect women specifically and what qualifies for workers' compensation claims.
Cardiovascular disease is the NUMBER ONE killer of women, causing 1 in 3 deaths each year. Heart disease can affect a woman at any age, making it vital for all women to understand their risk factors for suffering a potential heart attack. It's also important to understand how stress may impact a woman's health and increase their risk of an attack.
Cardiovascular disease describes conditions affecting the heart and blood vessels. It often presents itself differently in women vs. men, and this can lead to underdiagnosis and misdiagnosis in women.
Statistically, half of women who experience a heart attack have their symptoms go unrecognized. A heart attack occurs when blood flow is suddenly blocked to the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. Many women may not recognize the warning signs of a heart attack since they can be different from those experienced by men. As a result, they might delay getting medical attention. For example, not all women will experience chest pain or discomfort during a heart attack.
Women may be more likely to experience symptoms like shortness of breath, nausea, or fatigue during an attack. Other symptoms of a heart attack in women might include discomfort in the neck, jaw, shoulder, upper back, or upper belly, shortness of breath, pain in one or both arms, nausea or vomiting, sweating, lightheadedness or dizziness, unusual fatigue, and heartburn or indigestion.
Heart Health & Cardiovascular Disease on the Job
We spend so much of our time in the workplace that there is a chance a heart attack may take place at the place of employment or while doing a usual and customary job duty or even at home. If an unusually stressful or strenuous situation arises at work and an individual has a heart attack or stroke you may be covered.
Even if you have a heart attack or stroke, you may have a difficult time proving you should qualify for workers' comp benefits.
Is a Heart Attack at Work Covered by Workers' Compensation?
People often ask if having a heart attack at work is covered by the Workers' Compensation system. Workers' Compensation claims may include heart disease, hypertension, or conditions that lead to other medical problems caused or aggravated by the job. This could also include weight gain after a physical injury. Also, sometimes physical activity can trigger a heart attack.
Under California law, for a heart attack to qualify for workers comp, the worker's employment or work-related stress does not need to be the sole cause of the injury – it only has to be a "substantial contributing cause." However, California workers' compensation law also provides that when injury or disease aggravates a pre-existing condition, the amount of compensation is limited to the portion of disability reasonably attributed to work-related factors.
Are On-the-Job Strokes Covered by Workers' Compensation?
A stroke can also be covered by workers' compensation in California under certain conditions. To qualify, it must be established that the stroke occurred as a direct result of the individual's employment activities or conditions. This typically involves proving that the stroke was caused or significantly aggravated by factors directly related to the job, such as stress, exposure, or physically demanding work tasks.
Determining if a stroke is eligible for workers' compensation benefits, requires thorough documentation and medical evidence linking the stroke to work-related factors. Witness testimony may also be helpful in proving a case. Additionally, pre-existing conditions or other contributing factors may influence the outcome of a workers' compensation claim.
Knowledgeable Attorneys Can Help with Heart Attack or Stroke Issues
It is important to hire a qualified and experienced workers' compensation attorney to represent and guide you if you have a heart attack or stroke. The attorneys at Gordon, Edelstein, Krepack, Grant, Felton & Goldstein, LLP (also known as GEKLAW) have spent decades representing injured workers with heart attacks and strokes. A knowledgeable and thoughtful legal strategy can go a long way toward a successful outcome.
