Not every heart attack is job-related, but heart attacks can, at times, be blamed on the job. Heavier than usual work — called “unusual exertion” in Colorado workers’ compensation practices and procedures — may be to blame for a heart attack.
At the Eley Law Firm in Denver, we have helped hundreds of Colorado workers obtain the compensation for workplace injuries suffered because of on-the-job accidents. A heart attack is not an on-the-job injury that is as obvious as, for example, falling from a scaffold. But in many different circumstances, unusual exertion can and does cause heart attacks.
If The Job Caused The Injury, There Should Be Workers’ Compensation Benefits
One worker who suffered a job-related heart attack said, “I never worked harder in my life.” That is the basis for unusual exertion — physically challenging work far beyond the usual requirements for the job.
A farmworker was unloading an order of seed. The pallets broke. The bags had to be stacked and restacked by hand. Once the seed was in the barn, the bags had to be stacked — again by hand. The unusual exertion caused a heart attack and lasting heart damage.
No one else was available to help, so a lumber store worker had to run the store while, at the same time, unloading and stacking heavy bags of cement — not a part of the usual job, but someone had to do it. The unusual exertion caused a heart attack.
The employer and insurance carrier may not agree that a heart attack was job-related. If necessary, attorney Cliff Eley may seek the testimony of an expert, such as a cardiologist. The testimony of a qualified expert can help explain how a heart attack can happen because of unusual exertion, and why workers’ compensation is obligated to pay benefits.
If you suffered a work-related heart attack, call the Eley Law Firm in Denver at 303-785-2828 for a free consultation with a workers’ compensation lawyer. You can also contact us by filling out the email form on the Contact page. We look forward to working with you on your case.
