What if job responsibilities cause repetitive strain injuries?

Many job injuries involve a specific precipitating incident. A worker slips in a spill and breaks their arm or comes into contact with electricity, suffering an intense shock. They report the incident to management and seek out medical treatment. They have a straightforward process ahead if they require workers’ compensation benefits.

Quite a few workers coping with on-the-job injuries do not experience a single incident that leaves them hurt. Instead, they develop cumulative trauma over many years of performing repetitive job functions. Tasks that were once simple become painful to perform, especially toward the end of a shift.

Repetitive strain injuries can affect someone’s productivity at work and their overall quality of life. Workers dealing with repetitive strain injuries caused by their jobs can also potentially qualify for workers’ compensation.

Employees must connect their injuries to their jobs

Workers’ compensation is not just for traumatic injuries. It can theoretically cover any significant medical condition directly caused by a worker’s employment. A medical professional can potentially connect a condition like carpal tunnel syndrome with job responsibilities.

Workers may need to explain to a doctor the job functions they perform to help clarify the connection between their job and their condition. Provided that there is a clear connection, a worker dealing with a repetitive strain disorder such as tendonitis might be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits.

How benefits help injured workers

An injured employee can request medical coverage to pay for their treatments. Whether they need surgery, physical therapy, or pain management, workers’ compensation can potentially provide full coverage for all necessary medical care.

Repetitive strain injuries often force workers to take a leave of absence or request altered job responsibilities. Workers’ compensation can replace their lost wages or cover a portion of their reduction in wages. Employees dealing with repetitive strain injuries often try to power through their symptoms. Doing so might mean that they continue to worsen over time.

Seeing a medical exam and initiating a workers’ compensation claim can be a smart move for those who find that job functions have become painful due to repetitive strain. An injury does not need to involve a specific job incident to make a worker eligible for benefits. Workers who know their rights can more effectively protect themselves from worsening symptoms and the possibility of job loss.