Chicago Hemorrhoids And/Or Varicose Veins Lawyer

Illinois Workers Compensation Attorneys

"Ordinary conditions of life" (as they are sometimes called) such as hemorrhoids and/or varicose veins may be compensable under the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act if the injured worker proves that the condition was either caused by or aggravated by his/her work. This requires more than merely showing that the condition manifested itself at work, i.e that the hemorrhoids became painful while at work.

There are very few Commission decisions involving hemorrhoids. One recent case decided by the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission found that the claimant’s hemorrhoid condition was not compensable. The claimant stated that while at work his hemorrhoids had become painful. His work duties included laying straw mats which involved carrying the mats from a trailer to the work area, rolling the mats out and then pushing the staples in to the ground. The claimant had had problems with hemorrhoids in the past. The Commission found that his condition was not aggravated by his work activities and that there was no evidence that the claimant performed "the kind of vigorous squatting or sustained, heavy lifting that might aggravate a hemorrhoid condition."

An example of a case where the Commission found the condition compensable is one where the claimant injured his lower back and was being treated with narcotic pain medication. This medication led to severe constipation. This in turn led to the development of hemorrhoids and subsequently an anal fissure. The Commission found that this condition was related to the work injury based on the correlation of the medications to the condition.

A varicose veins claim requires similar proof. One must prove that the condition was caused by or aggravated/accelerated by ones work. This could mean aggravating or accelerating the need for specific treatment. This was found to be the case in one Commission decision where the claimant jumped from a truck bed and struck his calf and his knee. This caused knee problems but also accelerated his need for “vein stripping” which is a treatment for varicose veins. The Commission found the incident compensable for not only the knee condition but also the varicose veins.

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