Mold exposure is an often-overlooked problem at work. Continued exposure to mold can lead to flu-like symptoms and other problems. Many workers are unsure of what is happening, and they might not connect their deteriorating health to mold growing at work, especially because the mold grows out of sight.
Contact Ball, Kirk & Holm, P.C., to speak with a Des Moines workers’ compensation lawyer with our firm. We can help you document your exposure to mold, along with your symptoms. An insurer might reject a claim based on mold exposure, so we can discuss ways to strengthen your case or bring an appeal.
Where Does Mold Grow?
Mold is likely to grow in warm and wet conditions. It is common in basements but also inside the walls of any building.
Mold often grows where you can’t see it. Water could trickle into the space between walls due to a leak in the roof, and mold can grow on the drywall. The warmer temperatures inside a building can facilitate mold growth. For example, black mold grows best when the temperature is between 40 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
Symptoms of Mold Exposure
There are many types of molds. Black mold is one of the most dangerous. It is a dark green or black and grows on materials that contain cellulose, including paper products. Wood and drywall are also breeding grounds for this mod, which has the name Stachybotrys chartarum.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, black mold exposure leads to some familiar symptoms:
- Itchy eyes
- Runny nose
- Congestion
- Sneezing
- Coughing
Someone with asthma could experience worsening symptoms, including shortness of breath and a tightened chest. They might even end up hospitalized.
Fatigue is also common. You might feel as if you have the flu, which you can’t shake even after weeks pass. You might feel so run down that you can’t get out of bed to come into work.
Can You Receive Workers’ Compensation?
Possibly. If there is mold in your workplace and you have a reaction, then you should receive workers’ compensation benefits. For example, you might end up going to the hospital for treatment.
Mold exposure is often hard to diagnose. The major symptoms—runny nose, itchy eyes, and coughing—are also symptoms for common viruses, including those that cause the flu or common cold. A doctor might claim you have the cold, mononucleosis, or chronic fatigue syndrome and not get around to even considering mold exposure as a trigger. It’s not unusual for workers to spend months trying to get a handle on why they feel so poorly.
Even if your doctor suspects mold exposure, workers face another hurdle: proving the exposure is happening at work. As mentioned above, mold is often invisible. Only after tearing out some drywall does the property owner discover massive growth of mold. Your employer might not take your complaints seriously. In fact, they might never suspect mold growth on the premises but instead blame your illness on something else, like a virus.
We need to connect your symptoms to mold at work. The insurer could argue that you are not being sickened by workplace exposure—which is a requirement if you want workers’ compensation benefits.
How We Can Help Anyone Who Becomes Sick
Ball, Kirk & Holm, P.C. is an experienced workers’ compensation law firm which represents injured workers, including those who are exposed to mold or other toxins at work. There are certain facts we must establish to win a case:
1. Connect your illness to your workplace. We need to exclude other sources, like mold exposure at your home. This might require getting photographs of the mold at work.
2. Rule out pre-existing conditions. An insurer might claim that shortness of breath is due to your asthma and not any mold growing in the walls. Nonetheless, you can still make a workers’ compensation claim if the exposure worsens your asthma symptoms.
3. Prove the severity of your illnesses. Some insurance companies might not think mold exposure is sufficiently serious to warrant workers’ compensation benefits. They might think you can take some cold and flu medicine and power through your workweek. We can help gather medical records to support your claim.
4. Meet deadlines. You don’t have an unlimited amount of time to seek workers’ compensation or file an appeal. Our firm stays on top of these details and protects your rights in the process.
You might feel overwhelmed by trying to prove your case. That is perfectly normal, especially when mold exposure is sapping you of energy. That’s one reason to pick up the phone and call our office. We’ll review your medical records and help establish the necessary elements to receive benefits.
Workers’ Compensation Benefits for Mold Exposure
You might qualify for any of the following:
- Medical care to treat mold exposure and any allergic reaction. An allergy might send you to the hospital in an ambulance, while other workers need various tests to pin down that mold exposure is what is causing them to feel sick. You should not have to cover any medical care, including diagnostic tests.
- Mileage reimbursement. You might end up having to travel to receive care. We can ensure you receive all the benefits you deserve.
- Disability benefits. You might receive weekly benefits if mold-related exposure keeps you out of work. The amount of these benefits depends on various factors, including whether you are fully or partially disabled, as well as the duration of your disability and your average pay before coming down sick. Some people are sick for months, until their employer remediates the mold.
Speak with Our Des Moines Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
Mold exposure is often overlooked when workers fall sick. If you don’t know why you feel so bad, then workplace mold could be to blame. Call Ball, Kirk & Holm, P.C. to begin discussing whether you can obtain workers’ compensation benefits. You deserve all the benefits that you legally qualify for. Let us represent you in a hearing or on another appeal.