Free Consultation
No Fees Unless You Collect
(800) 706-3000
Se Habla Español
Posted on behalf of Phillips Law Group on Jul 06, 2009 in Employee Rights
Certain occupations come with inherent risks of disease and other medical problems, and while most understand this risk before undertaking employment in that trade or profession, it does not preclude the employer from taking every reasonable step to keep their workforce safe in Arizona.
There are specific statutes laid out by the state legislature designed to govern this situation, and below you'll find brief examples of this statutory language as well as information regarding how you should proceed if you've been harmed in this manner. If you're looking for a qualified employment attorney in Phoenix contact us today for a consultation.
Initially, the Arizona statutes define occupational disease and how its deemed to arise from employment:
Arizona Revised Statutes 23-901 Definitions
(c) An occupational disease which is due to causes and conditions characteristic of and peculiar to a particular trade, occupation, process or employment, and not the ordinary diseases to which the general public is exposed, and subject to section 23-901.01.
Arizona Revised Statutes 23-901.01
A. The occupational diseases as defined by section 23-901, paragraph 13, subdivision (c) shall be deemed to arise out of the employment only if all of the following six requirements exist:
As you see, if certain conditions are satisfied, the occupational disease can be seen as caused by the employment. The next question thats answered by the statutes concerns the issue of liability on the part of the employer for these diseases.
Arizona Revised Statutes 23-901.02 Liability of last employer; exception
Where compensation is payable for an occupational disease the only employer liable shall be the employer in whose employment the employee was last injuriously exposed to the hazards of such disease but in the case of silicosis or asbestosis the only employer liable shall be the employer in whose employment the employee was last exposed to harmful quantities of silicon dioxide (SiO2) dust during a period of two years or more.
The statutory language above gives rise to certain tenets that would lead to an award of workers compensation benefits, and if its proven that the occupational disease was caused by employment, the worker would generally be entitled to an award. Additionally, if a worker contracts a disease because of negligence on the part of the employer, that worker can seek an award under a theory of personal injury.
Overall, if you or someone you love suffers from a disease that was contracted because of an employment position, contact one of our skilled Phoenix employment law attorneys today to schedule a consultation.
© 2022
The Phillips Law Group. All rights reserved. All materials contained on the Phillips Law Group website are copyrighted including trademarks, and other proprietary information including the content on its blogs, the home page, and all website pages. The material contained on this website may not be copied, reproduced, modified, transmitted, displayed, or distributed without written permission of the Phillips Law Group. Any reposting, distribution, or displaying of website content on any other business website without prior written consent is a violation of copyright laws. The Phillips Law Group disclaims all liability for content maintained on other websites that are linked to this firm's website.
Clixsy