Additional Workers’ Compensation Benefits for Law Enforcement, Firefighters, and Paramedics
Police officers, firefighters, and other public safety workers are often exposed to increased risks, dangers, and health hazards. Maryland’s workers’ compensation laws recognize the added stress public safety workers face, and afford public safety employees additional benefits because of those stresses. We wanted to outline those benefits here, so that the people who protect us will know there are laws in place to protect them.
Additional benefits for police officers
- Higher compensation rates. Police officers are entitled to second tier compensation rates for injuries that would normally be paid out at first tier rates. This results in police officers receiving approximately double the amount of permanency than non-public safety employees would receive with the same injury.
- High Blood Pressure (Hypertension) and Heart Disease. If you are a police officer and have been diagnosed with hypertension or heart disease, it is presumed to be related to your employment. However, in order to have a compensable claim a police officer must also show disablement. It is important to be represented by an experienced attorney who understands the complexities of representing police officers in occupational disease claims.
Benefits for Sheriffs, Corrections Officers, and other law enforcement employees
- Higher compensation rates. Deputy Sheriffs of Anne Arundel County, Montgomery County, and Prince George’s County are entitled to second tier permanency compensation rates.
- High Blood Pressure (Hypertension) and Heart Disease. Corrections officers of Anne Arundel County, Montgomery County, and Prince George’s County are covered under the hypertension and heart disease presumptions, but are not automatically entitled to second tier benefits.
- Lyme disease. Under certain conditions, Maryland Department of National Resources law enforcement employees and park police officers suffering from Lyme disease are presumed to have an occupational disease.
Benefits for firefighters and paramedics
- Higher compensation rates. Volunteer, part-time, and full-time firefighters are entitled to second tier compensation rates in many workers’ compensation cases.
- High Blood Pressure (Hypertension) and Heart Disease. If you are a firefighter or paramedic and have been diagnosed with hypertension or heart disease, it is presumed to be related to your employment.
- Lung Disease and Cancer. Firefighters are exposed to additional health hazards not shared by other government employees. If you are a career firefighter and have been diagnosed with lung disease or certain cancers (leukemia, prostate, rectal, throat, multiple myeloma, Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, brain, testicular, or breast) you may have a compensable workers’ compensation claim.
Plaxen Adler Muncy, P.A. is proud to represent our public safety workers. If you sustained injuries in a work-related accident, please call our Maryland workers’ comp attorneys at 410-730-7737 or fill out our contact form. We have offices in Dundalk, Baltimore, Columbia and elsewhere throughout the state. We offer free initial consultations and a flexible appointment schedule. Reach out to us to learn more about how we can help you get the benefits you require.
Bruce Plaxen was honored as the 2009 Maryland Trial Lawyer of the Year by the Maryland Association for Justice. For more information on his legal background, please visit his attorney bio.