Workers' Compensation Laws Are Denying Care for Exposure Cases
Many workers in the South Florida region, from Deerfield Beach to Boynton Beach, are injured due to exposure to toxic chemicals or substances at work. Virtually all workers, from construction workers to secretaries, can be regularly exposed to chemical substances which result in injury. The current workers' compensation law places very high levels of evidence in order to obtain medical care and other benefits. Specifically, an injured worker must prove the exact substance by name which caused the exposure! This is often impossible or unduly expensive to prove. Further, the worker must prove the mathematical level of exposure!
This unrealistic burden has led to many cases of chemical exposure being denied by the Courts. In one recent case, Matrix Employee Leasing v. Pierce, a worker suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The Judge of Compensation Claim denied all benefits, because the poor worker couldn't prove with medical evidence the exact chemical exposure or level of exposure. As a result, the Court shut down his medical care.
The law office of Randy Zeldin has represented many workers who were injured by chemical exposures, in Broward and Palm Beach Counties. Gov. Christ and the Florida Legislature must re-examine the current state of the law, so that benefits are obtainable by workers who need the medical care.
