Emergency medical technicians, or EMTs, are some of the hardest working of all workers and also are exposed to a range of hazards that most workers would not experience. EMTs are responsible for attending medical emergencies, dealing with whatever they come across when they arrive at an accident or serious emergency and bringing the person or persons back to a hospital or other medical facility for treatment. EMTs are expected to drive as fast as they can and as safely as they can to the scene of a medical emergency, obey all ordinary traffic conditions, exercise first aid or emergency medical treatment as required, maneuver any sick or badly injured people on to an ambulance by stretcher if need be, and ensure the safe retrieval of such people to the nearest medical facility. Common Workplace Injuries EMTs are exposed to a number of work related health risks that many other workers are not. They risk traffic accidents daily as they try and balance speed of attendance at an emergency with their own safety, that of any patients they are carrying and the general public. Some of the emergency situations they attend to are potentially dangerous, such as earthquake and storm damage, fire and violence. They also face heavy lifting injuries such as hernias and disc injury as a result of moving immobile patients onto a stretcher and into and out of an ambulance. Next Steps after a Workplace Injury Most EMT workers are employed by emergency service agencies, which are privately owned. These companies will have workers’ compensation insurance to cover EMT and other employees in the event of a workplace related injury or sickness. The first step in obtaining compensation is to inform the supervisor of the incident that has caused the injury and ensure it is officially recorded. A claim should be submitted within the statutory time limit for compensation either with the state agency responsible for workers’ compensation or directly with the employer’s insurer. This should be accompanied by evidence which links the injury with work and provides justification for what has been claimed. How Workers Compensation Can Help As EMT work related injuries could range from a bad back right through to severe burn injuries depending on the circumstances, it is important that all medical expenses are paid out of workers’ comp. The compensation scheme also helps to pay for any lost wages as a result of the injury. Every state has slightly different rules regarding workers’ comp. entitlements. Some are more generous than others, but typically workers’ comp. pays around two thirds of the wage or other earnings that have been lost. If the injuries are so severe that the EMT worker cannot return to the same job, or is disabled indefinitely, workers’ comp. may pay permanent disability benefit or cash for retraining in a more suitable job. Why You Should Contact a WC Attorney If there are any problems making a claim, especially if the claim is denied by the insurer, it can help to engage a workers’ comp. attorney. The attorney can advise how to present a claim and help fight a denial if an appeal is needed.
