New Orleans Fire, Paramedic & EMT Injury Lawyer
Fire paramedics and EMTs find themselves in dangerous positions on a regular basis. Whether responding to a car crash or structure fire, first responders are exposed to a litany of hazards, and often injuries are simply a part of the job. But while first responders are asked to never think twice about putting their health and lives on the line in order to save another person, they are not always treated with this same sense of duty, respect, and care by their employers. Injured first responders seeking workers’ compensation benefits are routinely turned down or have their benefits reduced by their employer, city government, and insurance carrier. To get the financial and medical coverage you deserve, you need to work with a New Orleans first responder lawyer. Lunsford Baskin & Priebe, PLLC is capable of securing the full amount that you are owed for the injuries that you sustained on the job.
Benefits for First Responders in a Workers’ Compensation Claim
Workers’ comp provides full medical care as well as temporary or permanent wage replacement for first responders. Up to two-thirds of the employee’s average weekly wages can be provided, depending on the severity of the injury or illness. In addition to medical care and wage replacement, workers’ comp also pays for vocational training if the victim can not return to the same type of work post injury.
Common Injuries and Conditions Suffered by First Responders
In addition to fractured bones, traumatic brain injuries, sprains, strains, lacerations, and chronic overuse injuries such as tendonitis and arthritis, first responders are prone to a number of illnesses and conditions that workers in other industries do not normally experience due to their line of work. These include the following:
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder—In 2019, Louisiana law was changed to enable some first responders the right to seek compensation for PTSD. A firefighter who is diagnosed with PTSD is presumed to have contracted it on the job.
- Hypertension and Lung Diseases—Roughly 75 percent of first responders suffer from high blood pressure, which increases the patient’s likelihood of heart attack and stroke. A high percentage of firefighters also suffer from various lung illnesses. Under the Fireman’s Heart and Lung Act, if a heart or lung disease develops during a firefighter’s employment, they are entitled to worker’ compensation benefits even if they do not suffer a heart attack or a stroke.
- Hearing Loss—Loud engines and other noises wreak havoc on the eardrums. As such, first responders are particularly prone to hearing loss.
- Cancer—Firefighters are exposed to untold numbers of toxic substances on the job. As such, if a worker has been employed as a firefighter for 10 years or more and they develop cancer, their illness will be classified as a workplace illness.
Call a New Orleans First Responder Injury Lawyer Today
First responders, including EMTs and firefighters, make sacrifices to save the lives of others. They deserve to be compensated fairly by their employers. Here at Lunsford Baskin & Priebe, PLLC, our New Orleans Fire, Paramedic & EMT injury lawyer will do just that. Call us today at 601-488-3975 to schedule a free consultation.
