Have A Repetitive Motion Related Injury? Know How Workers' Compensation May Cover It
Posted on: 30 November 2016
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Repetitive motion related injuries occur when someone constantly performs the exact same motion as part of their job. For instance, someone that works at an office desk job may do a lot of typing with a keyboard, and are more at risk for developing carpal tunnel. Other types of injuries can affect the neck, back, and shoulders as well if you are doing tasks that involve lifting. While it can be difficult to get a repetitive motion related injury covered by workers' compensation, it is possible. Follow these tips to make sure you're doing the right things.
Let Your boss Know When You Are Experiencing Discomfort
Most injuries will happen suddenly and unexpectedly, so it's almost impossible to let your boss know that an injury can happen. Repetitive motion related injuries are different because the injury happens gradually. You should not wait to let somebody know until your injury has started causing you a lot of pain. Make your boss aware at the early signs of any discomfort.
Your employer should take steps to reduce pain that you are experiencing. For instance, if you are an office worker, this may include making adjustments to your workstation or your office chair. If modifications are made and the pain gets worse or doesn't go away, you could have a valid reason to make a workers' compensation claim.
See A Doctor For Proper Documentation
Once you've notified your employer that you're experiencing pain, you should visit a doctor to have the problem properly documented. Hold onto any documentation you receive, such as a diagnosis or treatment plan. The agency that handles your workers' compensation case will talk to your doctor about the injury, but these documents help when making your initial claim.
Include Details In Your Claim
When making your workers' compensation claim, it's important that you include a lot of details about your injury. Start by describing when you started experiencing pain, when you notified your boss, what actions were taken to reduce pain, and what the result of that was. The more details you provide, the more it will help show that this injury wasn't preventative and was due to repetitive motion. If not, you could have your claim denied.
Hire A Lawyer
Winning these types of cases will be tough, and you are better off having a lawyer on your side that will help fight the battle for you. Reach out to a local lawyer that specializes in workers' compensation claims. Click here to find out more.