Q: Can an employer refuse to pay for my medical bills if I have a seizure at work and they call an ambulance?
This was a few months ago but I wasn’t going to fight it cuz I assumed they were right but my ambulance bills are just piling up because I can’t afford them. They said they aren’t paying for it cuz it’s not a work related injury. The job is a restaurant that’s not a union (as far as I know)
A: I think your first instinct is correct; the employer is not obligated to pay your ambulance bills if resulting from something non-work related.
A:
Had the employer not called an ambulance it might be a wildly different situation and then you might have a cause of action against them. If it helps, imagine if you called an ambulance on behalf of someone, and they asked you to pay for it for simply making a phone call. That could serve as a deterrent, and generally we want people to help others.
It may help to also be aware, under Michigan law, workers' compensation benefits are generally the sole and exclusive remedy for work-related injuries or illnesses. This means that workers cannot file a lawsuit against their employer or co-workers for damages related to a work-related injury or illness, except in limited circumstances where the injury was intentionally caused by the employer. Workers' compensation benefits are designed to provide injured workers with prompt and efficient medical care and compensation for lost wages, and to help them return to work as soon as possible.
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