Several jobs involve recurrent movements, resulting in injuries such as bursitis, tendinitis, and nerve entrapment syndromes. It’s difficult to work if you’re suffering from such injuries, worsening the pain and the injury itself with your every move, forcing you to leave work to recover. However, it also means that you have to miss paychecks for several weeks, months, or even years, depending on the nature and severity of your injuries.
Good thing that there’s workers’ compensation that you can turn to in case you need monetary assistance to cover your medical bills, lost wages, and more. Filing a compensation claim is easier said than done. More often than not, injured workers encounter difficulties with the filing of their claims and getting compensation. Most of the time, the requirements are not complete, filed beyond the specified time, or the insurance company denied their claim.
Whatever the cause, you can count on ODG Law to protect and fight for your rights to the compensation you deserve. Call us today at (818) 975-3080 and schedule a FREE consultation with one of our compassionate and well-equipped workers’ compensation attorneys.
What is Repetitive Stress Injury?
A repetitive stress injury (RSI) is an affliction to your muscles, nerves, or tendons caused by recurrent motions and consistent usage. It’s also sometimes called Cumulative Trauma Injury (CTI).
They can be one of the most expensive and crippling work-related injuries and range from temporary or permanent based on their urgency. Additionally, it’s a very common workplace injury and usually affects the elbows, wrists, fingers, and thumbs.
What are the Most Common Causes of RSI?
Any activity or movement that you do frequently and repeatedly can lead to repetitive stress injury. It can develop after your body undergo the same kind of stress and strain over time. These causes include:
- Poor or awkward position when sitting or standing while working
- Working with a vibrating tool such as a jackhammer
- Sports or other activities that necessitate the repeated utilization of the same movement
- Working in the cold
Common Types of Repetitive Stress Injuries
Due to overuse of nerves, muscles, or tendons, repetitive stress injuries happen. Even if these conditions differ when it comes to the seriousness and impact various parts of the body, they originate from similar sources. An example is unsupporting the nerves and muscles or putting intense wear and tear.
The most common types of repetitive stress injuries include:
Tendonitis
Tendons are thick fibrous cords, attaching muscles to the bones. When become inflamed or swollen, tendonitis occurs. It can result in joint pain, tightness, and tenderness, affecting tendon movement. This injury commonly affects the wrists, elbows, heels, knees, and around the shoulders.
Bursitis
This is the inflammation of the closed, fluid-filled sac that functions as a cushion and gliding surface, reducing friction between body tissues. It’s a temporary condition but somehow doesn’t cause deformity.
Rotator Cuff Syndrome
Also called impingement or biceps tendinitis, rotator cuff syndrome is any injury or deteriorating condition affecting the rotator cuff. It includes rotator cuff tendonitis, sub acromial impingement syndrome, partial, or full-thickness rotator cuff tears.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
The carpal tunnel is a confined passageway enveloped by bones and ligaments on the palm side of the hand. If the median nerve experiences squeezing or compression, you’ll feel numbness, tingling, and weakness in the arm and hand.
Tennis Elbow
This is a disorder that causes pain surrounding the outside of the elbow. Also known as lateral epicondylitis, it usually occurs following overexertion of the forearm muscles, close to the elbow joint.
The abovementioned injuries can cause you costly bills for medical care. Work with ODG Law’s well-equipped workers’ compensation attorneys to ensure that your coverage will take care of your medical expenses.
Symptoms of a Repetitive Strain Injury
RSI usually affects the tendons in the nerves, tendons, and muscles in the wrists and hands. If you think you’re already suffering from this kind of injury, watch out for these symptoms:
- Aching
- Burning
- Cramping
- Loss of sensation
- Numbing
- Pain
- Tenderness
- Throbbing
- Tingling
Proving Your Repetitive Stress Injury and Obtaining Compensation
Employers in California must carry workers’ compensation for their employees as mandated by the state or face the consequences. This insurance will encompass expenses for work-related injuries or illnesses.
However, obtaining compensation for RSI can be harder than it seems. As an injured worker, you have to demonstrate that you suffered the injury in the workplace while doing your job and not because of something else.
The key to obtaining compensation is proving your injury which can be difficult doing it on your own. Hiring one of our well-equipped workers’ compensation lawyers from ODG Law is a big help. We’ll fight back if the insurance company denies or limits the compensation that you must receive.
Statute of Limitations for Filing Workers’ Compensation
Workers’ compensation claims have a statute of limitation, specifying the length of time you need to report your injury to your employer. Immediately notifying your employer of your injury is the best thing to do, for him to witness a physical injury that actually occurred in the workplace. Get help from our top-rated workers’ compensation attorney to ensure that you’ll file your claim in a timely manner.
Contact ODG Law Today for Help
After suffering injury or developing illness due to repetitive tasks in the workplace, you’re eligible for workers’ compensation benefits. However, it would be an uphill climb since insurance companies are generally known to undervalue or deny an injured worker’s claim. Besides, you need to prove that your injury or illness is work-related.
Moreover, you need to acquire documents and evidence to show that you’re really suffering from RSI. In short, filing a claim is not as easy as 1-2-3 because of its complexity and your lack of knowledge regarding the process.
However, working with one of our knowledgeable workers’ compensation lawyers gives you an edge. That’s because you’ll have someone to protect your rights and defend you against the challenges that the insurance company will bring against you.
Contact us at (818) 975-3080 and book a FREE consultation. It doesn’t matter whether you want to hire us or just want legal advice. You have nothing to lose because we work on a contingency fee basis. Call us today and let’s talk about your case.
