What is Sick Building Syndrome?
Have you been experiencing serious medical conditions that are preventing you from working? If you have been seeking medical attention and have recently learned that you may be suffering from something known as “sick building syndrome” or another form of occupational disease due to prolonged exposure to a hazardous material or condition, it is extremely important to begin gathering medical documentation of your condition and to seek assistance from a Maryland workers’ compensation attorney who can assist you with the benefits process.
In the meantime, we can provide you with more information about sick building syndrome and the requirements in Maryland for obtaining workers’ compensation benefits.
Defining Sick Building Syndrome Versus Building-Related Illness
What is sick building syndrome? According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), sick building syndrome refers to a term that describes “situations in which building occupants experience acute health and comfort effects that appear to be linked to time spent in a building, but no specific illness or cause can be identified.” Often, with sick building syndrome, “complaints may be localized in a particular room or zone, or may be widespread throughout the building.”
The EPA distinguishes between sick building syndrome and “building-related illness,” which is the term that is “used when symptoms of diagnosable illness are identified and can be attributed directly to airborne building contaminants.”
Symptoms of both may include, for example:
- Headaches;
- Severe eye, nose, or throat irritation;
- Dry cough;
- Skin issues;
- Dizziness;
- Nausea;
- Concentration issues; and
- Fatigue.
Seeking Workers’ Compensation Benefits When a Workplace Building Made You Sick
If you believe you have developed an occupational illness due to a hazardous condition or substance and now have sick building syndrome or building-related illness, you may be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits if you are ultimately able to identify the source of your condition.
In order to be eligible for benefits under Maryland workers’ compensation law, you must be able to show that your injury arose out of and occurred in the course of your employment. To do that, you will likely need to be able to prove that a specific identifiable issue on a worksite caused your illness.
Contact Our Maryland Workers’ Compensation Attorneys for Assistance Seeking Workers’ Compensation Benefits Due to Building-Related Illness
Unlike an injury resulting from a single traumatic event or a single exposure, occupational diseases can sometimes be more complicated as the basis for workers’ compensation claims. While illnesses and medical conditions resulting from workplace exposures, including sick building syndrome and building-related illness, are very real, you may need to provide more documentation and evidence to show that your condition arose out of and occurred in the course of employment. This is something that an experienced Maryland workers’ compensation lawyer at the Law Offices of Steinhardt, Siskind and Lieberman, LLC can begin assisting you with today. If you have any questions or concerns about your eligibility for workers’ compensation benefits in Maryland due to a type of occupational disease due to prolonged exposures, our firm is here to help you. Contact us today to begin working on your case for benefits.