Repetitive Motion Work Injuries
Do you spend a lot of your time at work repeating the same motion over and over again?
There are a number of occupations that require employees to repeat the same motion on a regular and consistent basis. This could be a forceful motion, such as swinging a sledgehammer or small, seemingly insignificant movement, such as moving the computer mouse. While most people associate work related injuries and workers’ compensation with big, traumatic events, such as an explosion or fall, it is often these repetitive motions that result in employee injuries.
Common Injuries from Repetitive Motion
Repetitive motion injuries, also called repetitive stress injuries, can occur in any work environment or profession. Those who work in an office are just as likely to develop a repetitive motion injury as a construction worker. Which is repetitive stress injuries account for $20 million in workers’ compensation payout each year. These injuries have surpassed falls, trips, collisions, and impact injuries as the most common type of workplace injury.
Frequently, repetitive stress injuries will affect joints and other delicate parts of the body. For instance, fingers, elbows, knees, and ankles are all prone to the various repetitive stress injuries. Specific injuries include:
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Thoracic output syndrome
- Tendonitis
- Bursitis
- DeQuervain’s syndrome
- Non-specific pain syndromes or diffuse repetitive stain injury
- Writer’s cramp
- Epicondylitis
- Raynaud’s Disease and
- Ganglion.
These injuries can be extremely painful and include muscular deterioration, nerve damage, and chronic pain. For many people, a repetitive motion injury can lead to time off work or the inability for perform a task or job altogether. These employees may require significant workers’ compensation benefits due to disability or ongoing medical care.
Proving Repetitive Motion Injuries
It is required under New Jersey law that an employee shows the casual connection between the specific injury and a workplace activity. This is simple when the injury is due to a specific, singular event such as tripping over a cord or wire and breaking your arm. This becomes much more difficult when the injury is from repetitive motion.
Insurance companies and employers know that it is more difficult for an employee to prove that typing or repetitive lifting led to carpel tunnel or tendonitis. This leads to an increase in pushback on a claim for these injuries. However, repetitive motion injuries are no less entitled to receipt of workers’ compensation than other injuries.
In these instances, it is helpful to speak with a lawyer. A New Jersey workers’ compensation lawyer will have the tools, information, and experience to strategically file a claim based on a repetitive motion injury. This increases the chances that an insurance provider will be required to cover costs for ongoing medical expenses and disability for time away from work.
Find the Right Lawyer
Your workers’ compensation lawyer should be familiar with the difficulties and unique aspects of a claim for a repetitive motion injury. This is invaluable experience that can make a huge difference in the financial support you receive through these benefits.
The Law Offices of Albert J. Talone, LLC has assisted many clients with repetitive injury claims in the state of New Jersey. Our experience can be your difference in accessing long-term medical care and receiving the compensation you need. Call us today at (856) 234-4023 to speak with a qualified New Jersey lawyer.