Content reviewed by:
Alex Shulman
Hospital employees can suffer injuries while moving patients, handling equipment, cleaning rooms, or responding to emergencies. Shulman & Hill has recovered over $1 billion for injured New Yorkers. A hospital workers’ compensation lawyer in Staten Island can help you pursue benefits after a job-related injury or illness.
Nurses, aides, technicians, transporters, cleaners, food service workers, and other hospital employees may suffer sudden injuries or conditions that develop over time. A Staten Island workers’ compensation lawyer can review your job duties, medical records, and the circumstances surrounding your condition.
A workplace injury can affect your paycheck and ability to return to your regular duties. Contact Shulman & Hill today for a free consultation about your claim.
How Hospital Workers Get Hurt on the Job
Hospital employees work around patients, equipment, slippery surfaces, bodily fluids, and demanding physical tasks. A single accident can cause an injury, and repeated movements can lead to painful conditions over months or years.
A Staten Island personal injury lawyer can also review whether someone outside your employer contributed to the accident. Certain workplace injuries may create a separate third-party claim in addition to workers’ compensation benefits.
Common hospital injuries include the following:
- Back and shoulder injuries from patient handling
- Falls on wet or cluttered floors
- Needlestick and sharps injuries
- Repetitive stress conditions
- Knee and joint injuries
- Exposure-related illnesses
- Injuries from workplace violence
Your job duties and medical records can help establish how the condition developed and how it affects your ability to work.
Your Rights Under Hospital Workers Compensation in Staten Island
If your injury happened because of your job, you may have the right to workers’ compensation benefits under New York law. These benefits may apply whether the injury happened suddenly or developed over time because of your regular work duties.
Hospital workers’ compensation in Staten Island may cover medical treatment, part of your lost wages, and benefits for temporary or lasting disability. In some cases, you may also qualify for travel reimbursement related to medical care or awards tied to permanent impairment.
A hospital workers’ compensation lawyer in Staten Island can help you understand what benefits may apply to your situation and whether your employer or insurance carrier is disputing your claim.
What Benefits May Be Available
New York workers’ compensation may provide medical care and wage benefits when an eligible employee suffers a work-related injury or illness. You generally do not need to prove that your employer acted negligently to seek these benefits.
Available benefits may include the following:
- Medical treatment related to the condition
- Partial replacement of lost wages
- Temporary disability benefits
- Benefits for certain permanent impairments
- Transportation reimbursement for qualifying medical travel
- Survivor benefits after a work-related death
The benefits available depend on your medical condition, work restrictions, wages, and ability to return to employment. An insurer may dispute one or more of those issues during the claim.
Steps to Take After a Hospital Workplace Injury
Report the injury to your supervisor as soon as possible. Describe what happened, where you were working, and which duties you were performing when the injury occurred or symptoms appeared.
Get medical treatment and tell the provider that the condition is work-related. Describe your actual hospital duties, including lifting, pushing, repetitive movements, patient handling, or other activities connected to the injury.
Keep copies of the following:
- Incident reports
- Medical records
- Work restrictions
- Test results
- Wage statements
- Work schedules
- Messages from your employer or insurer
These records can help establish what happened, how the condition developed, and how much work you missed because of it.
When a Denied Claim May Be Challenged
A denial does not necessarily end a workers’ compensation claim. An insurer may dispute whether the injury happened at work, whether employment caused the condition, or whether the medical evidence supports your requested benefits.
A dispute may require medical reports, testimony, employment records, and descriptions of your regular duties. A Staten Island hospital workers’ compensation attorney can help organize that information and address the carrier’s reasons for denying the claim.
Disputes can also arise after benefits begin. The insurer may seek to reduce or stop payments based on medical examinations, work status, or arguments that you can return to your previous position.
Returning to Work After a Hospital Injury
Your doctor may release you to full duty, keep you out of work, or allow you to return with restrictions. Those restrictions should reflect what you can safely perform based on your medical condition.
A hospital may offer light-duty work after an injury. Review whether the position follows your medical restrictions, especially if your regular job requires patient transfers, lifting, prolonged standing, or repetitive physical tasks.
Your wages can also affect the claim if you return to work at lower pay because of the injury. Keep schedules and pay records that document changes in your hours, duties, or earnings.
Filing Deadlines for a Hospital Workers’ Compensation Claim
New York workers generally should notify their employer about a workplace injury as soon as possible. A workers’ compensation claim generally must be filed with the Workers’ Compensation Board within two years of the accident.
For an occupational disease, the two-year filing period can run from when you knew or should have known that the condition resulted from your employment.
You should not rely on the filing deadline as a reason to wait. Medical records, incident reports, witness information, and details about your work duties may become harder to collect as time passes.
Speak With a Hospital Workers’ Compensation Lawyer in Staten Island
Hospital injuries can affect your health, income, and ability to continue doing physically demanding work. Medical records and accurate descriptions of your duties can help establish how the condition relates to your employment.
Shulman & Hill has helped more than 26,000 clients across New York. A hospital workers’ compensation lawyer in Staten Island can review your injury, medical evidence, wages, and any dispute raised by the insurance carrier.
Contact Shulman & Hill today for a free consultation.
