The injured employee contracts Hepatitis C from a blood transfusion during surgery for a work related injury. You are responsible for:

• A. Temporary disability and permanent disability.
• B. Nothing, the Hepatitis C is not work related.
• C. Medical treatment for the Hepatitis C.
• D. The compensable consequences of Hepatitis C.

Answer: (D)

In workers’ compensation, the obligation covers not just the immediate injury but also the consequences that flow from it or from its treatment. When an injury requires surgery and a blood transfusion, any illness that arises as a proximately caused result of that treatment—such as Hepatitis C contracted during the transfusion—is considered a compensable consequence of the work-related injury.

So, you’re responsible for the Hepatitis C and all that follows from it as a consequence of the compensable injury and its treatment. This includes medical treatment for the Hepatitis C and any disability or other effects that arise because of it. It’s not simply about whether the Hepatitis C is work-related in a broad sense; it’s about recognizing that the disease is a compensable consequence of the injury and its medical care.