In California, employees are entitled to workers compensation benefits if they contract Covid-19 at work. The state advises employers: “You should encourage workers to notify their employer and file a workers’ compensation claim if they think they contracted COVID-19 at work.”
How do you prove you caught Covid at work versus exposure outside of work?
California passed a law creating a presumption the Covid is work related in certain circumstances.
“The first presumption applies to COVID-19 workers’ compensation claims filed by peace officers, firefighters, first responders, and health care workers.
The second presumption, for employers with five or more employees, applies to employees who test positive for COVID-19 during an outbreak at the employee’s specific place of employment. An outbreak occurs when a set number of employees – depending on the number of employees at the workplace – test positive for COVID-19 during a continuous 14-day period.”
Even if you don’t fall into either category, you can still prove through other evidence you most likely contracted Covid at work.
You can be entitled to medical expenses, temporary disability payments, and if you have lingering Covid symptoms, permanent disability payments depending on the severity of your injury rating.
Ask me for more details: brett@brettpetersonlaw.com