Occupational Disease
An occupational
disease is a medical condition that is caused by elements present in a particular type of employment and materials, conditions, etc. found in areas where tasks associated with this employment are typically carried out. A common condition among coal miners is black lung disease.
Mesothelioma is a specific kind of
cancer that is caused by
exposure to asbestos, and is more and more frequently
diagnosed among people who were involved with the installation of
asbestos insulation material, or others whose work involved exposure to this substance.
Most occupational diseases are a result of long-term exposure to a toxic substance. In some cases, symptoms do not become apparent until decades after initial exposure; in other cases, an illness can develop after only a few months or years.
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Because of the time lag between initial exposure to a toxin and the appearance of a resultant medical condition, connections have been historically difficult to prove. Although an occupational disease is similar to a work-related injury, the latter is generally immediate. There are often witnesses who saw the injury occur, and liability is relatively easy to prove.
If a person works at an occupation in which employees are affected by a particular disease in significantly greater numbers than the general population, the person so affected may be eligible to collect worker's compensation payments as well as Social Security disability payments.
It is important to understand your rights under the law.