By: Chris Aguiar, Esq.
There are so many fascinating things to debate in what can only be described as perhaps the strangest times we as a society have collectively endured. Should we open the economy at the expense of American lives? Does the data even support this notion that social distancing makes a difference? How could the models have been so far off their original projections? How did the current administration do with respect to its response? It would be disingenuous to say that these are not topics in which I am interested, but in terms of the day to day business of a subrogation professional (and in the context of this blog), I’m thinking much more in the weeds.
The immediate question a lot of our subrogation clients are asking is quite simply, what is the rule regarding workers' compensation claims with respect to this pandemic? Will medical professionals, first responders, and even essential employees be able to make claims for workers' comp? One’s gut reaction might be to say, “of course they can!” – But deeper analysis requires a bit more nuanced thinking.
The success of every injury claim, be it an auto accident, a work injury, or medical malpractice, rests on a critical element of proving negligence – causation! How does one prove that they contracted the virus as a result of working with a person infected with COVID-19, rather than when they stopped at the grocery store on the way home from their shift? With a virus that the media would lead you to believe is so potent that the mere act of stepping outside your door will leave you at significant risk, how are we to know what actually “caused” that person to contract the virus? It would be virtually impossible to tie the contracting of the virus to one single event – accordingly, the theoretical answer lies in the concept of “presumptive illness”. The practical answer, as is so often the case with legal discussion, is, well, “it depends.”
Every state has different definitions of “presumptive illness” - a presumption that one who works closely with those who are ill, such as medical personnel and first responders, contracted the illness within the scope of their employment. Furthermore, every state defines the class of employees who are eligible for the presumption differently (e.g. which “essential employees” are eligible for the presumption?). Additionally, many states are currently reviewing their laws and determining whether to make a change to specifically address the current pandemic and what employees on the front lines are able to claim. Needless to say, as with everything related to COVID-19, it is a quickly developing situation. At this time, whether a plan participant is eligible for worker’s compensation benefits depends on the type of work they do, and whether that state already provides for this presumption. If it doesn’t, states will need to add this presumption in order to allow workers to access these benefits.
Anyone who has questions can feel free to reach out to our team for more information at info@phiagroup.com.