Most often, workplace injuries result from a single life-changing event such as a chemical burn, electrocution, or a fall. However, other workplace injuries are caused by a series of repetitive strains, motions, or postures related to your job, such as a repetitive use injury.
A repetitive use injury / a repetitive strain injury (RSI) can be caused by any form of repetitive motion, including hammering nails, keyboarding, holding a jack hammer, and so on. While you may not realize it, you may be eligible for workers' compensation if you get a repetitive strain injury due to a work-related task.
If you sustained a repetitive use injury at your workplace, the workers' compensation attorneys at Bykhovsky Law could help you file a workers' compensation claim. Contact us at 414-616-1655 for a free consultation.
What Qualifies as a Repetitive Use Injury
Repetitive use injury at the workplace arises as a result of doing a given task repetitively every day. This could be heavy lifting, typing, pulling industrial levers, gripping tools, bending from the knees or back, and a host of other tasks that are usually done repetitively for long durations daily.
Some conditions that pass as repetitive stress injury include bursitis, neck pain, tendonitis, epicondylitis, tennis elbow, degenerative knee conditions, carpal tunnel syndrome, and fibromyalgia.
The symptoms of a repetitive strain injury vary depending on the injured body part. They may include pain, tingling, numbness, loss of flexibility, reduced range of motion, and loss of coordination or strength.
Jobs Where Repetitive Use Injuries Are Common
While repetitive strain injury is mostly associated with jobs that require typing, some other occupations that are at high risk of sustaining these injuries are:
- Plumbers
- Bakers
- Delivery workers
- Firefighters
- Truck drivers
- Factory workers
- Housekeepers and janitors
- Nurses and healthcare aides
How to Prove a Repetitive Use Injury
Initially, you must follow two vital steps:
- You must notify your employer that you believe you sustained an injury while on the job
- You must have a medical report detailing your injuries
Additionally, you need to visit a physician and give them accurate information pertaining to:
- The type of work you do
- The repetitive nature of your work
- The pain you are experiencing
- The frequency of the repetitive motions or tasks
The physician must then determine whether your injuries were caused by the work-related activities you described. You must provide your employer with a medical report confirming your injuries.
How to File a Repetitive Use Injury Compensation Claim
There are three things that must happen when filing a repetitive use injury compensation claim, namely:
- The employee notifying the employer of their injury
- The injured employee must obtain a medical report from their physician
- The employee must then furnish their employer with the medical report.
The employer, on their part, needs to:
- Notify their work cover insurance provider of the injury
- Furnish the insurance company with the details of how the injury occurred
- Provide the insurance company with any additional information, such as employee contract information.
Not all work-related injuries are covered by your employer's insurance company. This means that not all claims will be automatically accepted. If your employer or their insurance carrier believes that your injuries were caused by other factors that aren't work-related, they may deny your claim and begin an investigation.
However, if your claim is supported by medical evidence, the chances are that the employer and the insurance company will accept your claim.
Workers' Compensation Benefits for a Repetitive Use Injury
Some of the benefits you can get from workers' compensation involving repetitive use injury are:
- Payment of medical bills
- Vocational rehabilitation maintenance
- Temporary partial disability
- Temporary total disability
- Vocational rehabilitation training
- Permanent partial disability
- Permanent total disability
Seek Help from a Workers' Compensation Lawyer
Repetitive use injuries can sometimes be challenging to prove not to mention that your employer or insurance carrier may frustrate you. But with an experienced workers' compensation attorney on your side, you have a stronger chance of presenting a solid claim. The attorneys at Bykhovsky Law can form a sound legal strategy that will get you the best possible outcome for your case.
Get in touch with us to book a free consultation about your repetitive use injury case. We are always ready to assist our clients with their cases.
