Repetitive movement injuries at work are common across many different industries. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), over 100 different types of injuries are caused by repetitive motion at work.
These types of injuries are the most common workplace injuries. They affect hundreds of thousands of workers each year and can leave workers without a paycheck while they recover. If you have experienced a repetitive motion injury at work, you may be entitled to benefits under your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance policy.
Repetitive Motion Injuries
Repetitive motion injuries are exactly what they sound like: injuries caused by repetitive movement. They commonly damage tendons, nerves, muscles, and other soft body tissue. Repetitive motion injuries often damage the hands, wrists, back, shoulders, and neck.
You may not even feel these injuries occur. Instead, they may get worse over time until eventually you feel intense pain or other symptoms, including:
- Dull aches
- Numbness or tingling
- Throbbing
- Tightness
You may notice a little pain or discomfort from time to time. After a while, the pain intensifies and becomes more frequent. Eventually, you may need to take time off work to let your body rest or receive medical treatment, which may include surgery.
Common Jobs Where People Suffer Repetitive Motion Injuries
Repetitive motion injuries can occur in any workplace. From clerical work to construction, workers doing the same or similar motion over and over are susceptible to this type of injury.
The most common jobs where people suffer from repetitive motion injuries include:
- Agricultural workers
- Athletes
- Firefighters
- Healthcare workers
- Housekeepers
- Janitors
- Meat processing workers
- Musicians
- Plumbers
- Restaurant workers
- Retail clerks
The most common types of repetitive motion injuries include:
- ACL and MCL injuries
- Blackberry thumb
- Bursitis
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Dystonia (involuntary muscle contractions)
- Epicondylitis (tennis elbow)
- Impingement syndrome
- Nerve entrapment disorder
- Radial tunnel syndrome
- Raynaud’s disease
- Rotator cuff injuries
- Tendinitis
- Tenosynovitis
- Thoracic outlet syndrome
- Trigger finger
- Ulnar tunnel syndrome
If you think you have been injured at work, you must report your injury to your supervisor immediately. Your employer must document the injury and report it to their workers’ compensation insurance carrier as soon as possible.
You should also see a doctor. If the pain becomes debilitating and you cannot work, do not try to tough it out. See your doctor right away and get their medical advice on what you should do next.
Your treatment options will vary and depend on the type of injury you have suffered and how severe it is. Carpal tunnel syndrome, for example, can be treated with rest, medication, and time off from work. In extreme cases, carpal tunnel may require surgery and a long recovery period.
Workers’ Compensation
Workers’ compensation is a type of insurance that all employers, with few exceptions, must carry. It is no-fault insurance, which means that you will receive benefits in exchange for agreeing not to sue your employer.
That does not mean getting benefits is easy. Even if you have a legitimate claim, the insurance carrier may try to deny you the benefits you deserve by saying you filed your claim late or that your injury did not happen at work.
That is what makes repetitive motion injuries more difficult. Because you did not get injured falling off a ladder, which is something that would be easy to prove happened while you were working, a repetitive motion injury could happen anywhere and over a long period of time.
This is why documentation of your injury is crucial and why you need to report your injury the moment you start feeling pain. If you are able to prove your injury occurred at work, you will be able to collect compensation for lost income and medical bills, but that is all. You cannot collect money for pain, suffering, or any other non-economic damages. Depending on the severity of your repetitive motion injury, you may be out of work for a long time. This could lead the insurance company to try and offer you a settlement.
If an insurance company offers you a quick settlement, that is most likely because it is in their best interest. If you take the settlement offer, you will waive your right to bring any future claims for this injury, which means that if you end up needing multiple surgeries or spend years out of work due to a repetitive motion injury, you cannot go back to the insurance company later and ask for more money.
In cases like this, it is vital that you partner with a trusted legal advocate with experience handling workers’ compensation claims. Your lawyer can help you understand the full value of your claim, which will probably be much larger than you initially thought. Medical care is expensive, especially for repetitive motion injuries that can last a long time.
Do not let yourself settle for less than what you need. You did not cause your repetitive motion injury, so you should not bear any responsibility to cover the medical expenses and other financial losses related to your injury. Hold the workers’ compensation insurance company’s feet to the fire by working with a skilled and aggressive workers’ compensation legal team.
The Cherry Hill Workers’ Compensation Lawyers at Pietras Saracino Smith & Meeks, LLP, Helps You Get the Benefits You Need
Depending on the work you do, you may be subjected to repetitive movements. These movements can wreak havoc on your body. But you do not have to suffer without compensation. Your employer’s workers’ compensation policy may provide you with benefits. To learn more your options, speak with our Cherry Hill workers’ compensation lawyers at Pietras Saracino Smith & Meeks, LLP. Contact us today at 856-761-3773 or fill out our online form to schedule your free consultation. With offices in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, we proudly serve our neighbors in Camden, Cinnaminson, Delran, Maple Shade, Pennsauken, and South Jersey.
