Repetitive Stress Injury — Workers’ Comp Claims

Your job can take a toll on your body. No matter your profession, over time, the constant tasks you perform cause more than exhaustion. They may lead to serious injury.

Repetitive stress injuries are one of the most common work-related injuries, even more so than slips and falls. However, learning that you have a repetitive stress injury is just the beginning. These conditions are expensive to treat and could affect your employment. Workers’ compensation benefits may be the answer.

To find out how to obtain workers’ compensation for a repetitive stress injury, contact the certified workers’ comp lawyers of Kademenos, Wisehart, Hines, Dolyk & Wright Co. LPA at (419) 625-7770. Attorneys Adrienne Hines and Victor Kademenos have extensive experience representing clients who’ve suffered repetitive stress injuries.

Let us help you file a claim and recover benefits for your injuries.

Repetitive stress injuries occur when too much stress is consistently placed on an area of the body. The body is harmed by doing the same action over and over, for days, weeks, months, or years – particularly when the movement is not performed properly.

The repetition focused on a specific area of the body can result in inflammation and muscle, tissue, tendon, ligament, and nerve damage. These injuries may need rest and anti-inflammatory medications or more serious treatments like surgery to correct.

Repetitive stress injuries occur because of moving a certain way frequently and from external forces exerted on your muscles, tendons, ligaments, and nerves. They commonly happen because of awkward positioning and actions, like having poor posture at work or being required to lift and move objects in an awkward way.

Vibrations and compression, which are common in industries that use a great deal of heavy machinery, tools, and other equipment like construction, also cause these injuries. However, many repetitive stress injuries result from typing and using computers for long hours each day.

Employees in relatively calm and sedentary positions are just as likely to develop repetitive stress injuries as those in more physically demanding fields like oil and gas production.

Repetitive stress injuries often impact the upper body and limbs, including the hands, wrists, elbows, shoulders, and neck. However, they can affect the back and lower limbs depending on the circumstances.

Some common repetitive stress injuries include:

• Tendinosis or tendinitis
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Bursitis
• Thoracic outlet syndrome
• Edema
• Golfer or tennis elbow
• Trigger finger
• Focal dystonia
• DeQuervain’s syndrome, also known as Blackberry thumb
• Rotator cuff injuries
• Knee injuries

Since repetitive stress injuries develop over time, it can be difficult for you to tell when you are hurt. It is best for you to see a doctor as soon as you notice the symptoms consistently. These injuries can result in discomfort, pain, weakness, tingling, muscle cramps, and other symptoms.

If you are dealing with an aching, throbbing, or sharp pain that will not go away, it is a sign something is wrong. Additionally, if the affected area of your body is becoming weaker or losing mobility or flexibility, see your physician right away. The sooner you have a diagnosis, the better able you are to keep the condition from getting worse.

In order to prove that you have one of these repetitive stress injuries, you must provide significant medical evidence. We can help you obtain the right evidence and achieve a successful case outcome.

Call certified workers’ compensation attorneys Adrienne Hines and Victor Kademenos at Kademenos, Wisehart, Hines, Dolyk & Wright Co. LPA today at (419) 625-7770.

With a sudden injury from an accident, you know to turn to workers’ compensation. But what about this? Like an injury suffered during a work accident, treating a repetitive stress injury may be covered by Ohio’s workers’ compensation insurance system.

Once you have been diagnosed, you should notify your employer and file a workers’ compensation claim. Ohio’s workers’ compensation insurance system covers:

• Injuries caused by workplace accidents
• Illnesses caused by your job
• Medical conditions resulting from repetitive motions at work

So long as you are covered by workers’ compensation insurance and your condition was caused by your work duties, it should be covered by workers’ comp. You will be entitled to have appropriate and reasonable medical expenses related to the condition paid. Depending on whether you are partially or fully disabled, for a period of time or permanently, you may also have a right to some income benefits.

Once you file a workers’ compensation claim, you will have to prove certain elements to obtain benefits, including:

• You suffer from a repetitive stress injury
• The repetitive stress injury is a result of your work duties

Proving that you are suffering from a medical condition due to your job can be more difficult than if you were suddenly hurt in an accident. With an accident, there are usually witnesses, a managerial accident report, and emergency medical care. All of this provides you with evidence that your injury occurred in the course of your employment.

However, repetitive stress injuries develop slowly over time. There is no one moment in which you go from being perfectly healthy to hurt. While you may be feeling symptoms, they may be entirely invisible or unnoticeable to others. To prove your injury was caused by your employment, you may need help.

At Kademenos, Wisehart, Hines, Dolyk & Wright Co. LPA, we have decades of experience helping employees obtain workman’s compensation for work-related medical conditions. We understand how repetitive stress injuries happen and how they affect your life. We also know what it takes to establish a claim and get the compensation you need, including:

• Medical benefits
• Wage loss benefits
• Rehabilitation benefits
• Disability benefits

To learn more about how to obtain workers’ compensation, contact certified workers’ compensation attorneys Adrienne Hines and Victor Kademenos today at (419) 625-7770 or through our online form.