Heart Attacks, Strokes, and California Workers’ Comp: A 2025 Guide for Injured Workers
Heart attacks and strokes are some of the most serious medical emergencies a worker can suffer. In California, these events can qualify for workers’ compensation if work contributed to the condition. At Lee Partners Law: Work Injury Attorneys, brothers David Lee and Michael Lee represent injured workers across Los Angeles County, the Inland Empire, and the High Desert helping them navigate claims after life changing cardiovascular events.
Are Heart Attacks and Strokes Covered by Workers’ Compensation?
Yes but you must show the event was connected to your job.
Single events: a heart attack after lifting heavy materials or working in extreme heat.
Cumulative stress/exposure: years of long shifts, high pressure, or toxic exposures leading to hypertension, arterial disease, or stroke.
Public safety presumptions: police officers, firefighters, and certain first responders benefit from legal presumptions that heart trouble and strokes are job-related.
For warehouse workers, truck drivers, construction crews, and other laborers in Los Angeles, Palmdale, Lancaster, Victorville, Barstow, Apple Valley, Hesperia, San Bernardino, and Riverside, these cases often come down to medical evidence.
How Doctors Measure Permanent Impairment
California requires physicians to use the AMA Guides 5th Edition when rating impairment.
Heart attacks: Evaluations may include treadmill exercise tolerance (METS), ejection fraction (how well your heart pumps), and clinical symptoms like fatigue or chest pain.
Strokes: Doctors measure loss of motor skills, speech, coordination, or cognition.
Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) are central—things like walking, bathing, dressing, communication, and sleep.
The Guides assign a Whole Person Impairment (WPI) percentage, which then feeds into the California rating system.
Impairment vs. Disability
Impairment = the medical loss, as measured by the doctor.
Disability = how that impairment affects your ability to work and earn.
Example:
A bank manager in Los Angeles with mild heart damage might return to desk work with little disability.
A Victorville firefighter with the same impairment may be deemed 100% disabled because the job requires heavy exertion.
Benefits Available
If your cardiovascular event is work-related, you may qualify for:
Full medical treatment (hospitalization, rehab, long-term meds).
Temporary disability benefits while recovering.
Permanent disability benefits tied to your WPI rating.
Job retraining vouchers if you can’t go back to your old job.
Death benefits for dependents if the event is fatal.
Why Local Representation Matters
Workers across Southern California often face long fights with insurance companies who argue that a heart attack or stroke was caused by “personal” risk factors rather than work.
That’s where our background as former defense attorneys comes in. At Lee Partners Law, David Lee and Michael Bowie use insider knowledge to counter these arguments and secure benefits for clients from Los Angeles, Pasadena, Glendale, Burbank, Long Beach, Torrance, Inglewood, Compton, Santa Monica, Palmdale, Lancaster, Victorville, Apple Valley, Hesperia, Adelanto, Barstow, and surrounding High Desert and Inland Empire communities.
Key Takeaways
Report heart attack or stroke symptoms immediately—delays fuel denials.
Even if you had hypertension or risk factors before, if work aggravated your condition, your claim may still be valid.
QMEs (Qualified Medical Evaluators) use the AMA Guides 5th Edition—that rating heavily impacts settlement value.
A local attorney can accelerate your case and protect your benefits.
Conclusion
Heart attacks and strokes are devastating, but California’s workers’ comp system provides a path to medical care and financial protection. The challenge is proving the link to work and ensuring your impairment is rated correctly.
At Lee Partners Law, brothers David A Lee and Michael Lee have helped countless workers in Los Angeles and the High Desert get through this process and secure the benefits they deserve. If you or a loved one has suffered a work-related heart attack or stroke, call or text us today for a free consultation.
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