Maryland Workers’ Compensation Act
The Maryland Workers’ Compensation Act is designed to provide medical care and wage benefits to injured employees in an efficient and timely manner. However, that is not always the case. Our workers’ comp laws and the process of receiving benefits can be confusing and complicated. When a work-related injury turns your world upside down, the […]
Maryland Workers’ Compensation for Correctional Officers
Chapter 17: Maryland Workers’ Compensation for Correctional Officers Correctional officers are also entitled to a presumption of law related to certain health conditions, and as of October 1, 2018, are now considered “Public Safety” pursuant to Maryland’s Workers’ Compensation benefits. This provides the enhanced benefits previously only provided to police officers, firefighters and EMTs. Limited […]
Maryland Workers’ Compensation for Firefighters and EMTs
Chapter 16: Maryland Workers’ Compensation for Firefighters and EMTs Firefighters and EMTs are also afforded certain benefits under Maryland’s Workers’ Compensation Act. The state recognizes that these public safety employees also risk their lives for the public good and face hazards and threats that are not inherent in other occupations. Like police officers, firefighters and […]
Maryland Workers’ Compensation Benefits for Police Officers
Maryland’s Workers Compensation Act provides special considerations for police officers. Police officers willingly place their lives at risk to protect the public. Because of their jobs, law enforcement officers are at a higher risk for some work-related illnesses than employees in other occupations. Therefore, the workers’ compensation laws include certain presumptions for some illnesses that […]
Award of Compensation
Chapter 13: Award of Compensation The Award of Compensation is an automatic award of workers’ compensation benefits that the Maryland Workers’ Compensation Commission (WCC) approves when a claim is not initially challenged by the employer or the workers’ compensation insurance carrier. The auto award is generated once the deadline passes for the workers’ compensation carrier […]
What is the Subsequent Injury Fund?
The Subsequent Injury Fund (SIF) encourages employers to hire employees with pre-existing health conditions. If an employer hired an employee with a pre-existing condition that contributed to a workplace injury, the employer’s workers’ compensation insurance carrier would be responsible for the claim. Some employers did not want to take the risk that an employee’s pre-existing […]
Workers’ Compensation Claims With Uninsured Employers
Most employers in Maryland that are required to have workers’ compensation insurance obey the law. However, some employers choose to break the law by failing to purchase workers’ compensation insurance coverage for their employees. Employers may not be covered by workers’ comp insurance for a variety of reasons. The insurance policy may have lapsed, and […]
When Is Vocational Rehabilitation Approved in a Workers’ Comp Case?
In addition to medical and disability benefits, an injured worker may also be entitled to vocational rehabilitation benefits in a Maryland workers’ comp case. Vocational rehabilitation provides an employee with the assistance the employee needs to return to the workforce after an on-the-job injury. Some of the benefits of vocational rehabilitation include vocational counseling, testing, […]
Qualifying Occupational Diseases for Maryland Workers’ Comp
As discussed in Chapter 7, an accidental personal injury for the purposes of workers’ compensation insurance includes an occupational disease arising out of the normal course of employment. The requirements for “arising out of” and “normal course of employment” would be the same for an occupational disease as it would be for an accidental injury. […]
Your Right to Medical Treatment After a Workplace Injury
Chapter 4: Your Right to Medical Treatment After a Workplace Injury When an employee is injured at work or suffers an occupational illness, it is important that the employee receives medical treatment. However, who pays for the treatment? Does an employee pay for medical care and receive reimbursement from the employer? Under Maryland’s Workers’ Compensation […]
Workers’ Comp Benefits For Firefighters Hearing Loss in MD
Tinnitus is caused by a problem in the auditory system, which includes parts of the brain, the auditory nerve, and the ear. It is not a disease, but a symptom of another problem. Tinnitus can cause hearing loss, in addition to ringing, hissing, roaring, clicking, and buzzing in the ears. Some of the causes of […]
Maryland Firefighters’ Workers’ Comp for High Blood Pressure
Firefighters are exposed to increased dangers, health hazards, and risks that other employees may not be exposed to while at work. For that reason, Maryland’s workers’ compensation laws make certain concessions for firefighters who suffer from one or more certain diseases or illnesses. Pinder Plotkin represents firefighters who are injured on the job. We fight […]