Using the same part of your body repeatedly can cause certain conditions and chronic pain requiring rest and rehabilitation to make a full recovery. You might be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits if you’ve suffered a repetitive stress injury due to the activities you perform at work.
However, it’s common to face claim denial for repetitive stress injuries, which is why working with a workers’ compensation attorney is essential to protect your rights and give you the time you need to heal from the injury.
Learn more about repetitive stress injuries and how workers’ compensation might apply based on your case.
What Is a Repetitive Stress Injury?
Repetitive stress injuries involve continued strain on specific muscles, tendons or nerves due to repetitive movements or constant use. They often impact fingers and thumbs, hands, wrists, elbows, arms, shoulders, and knees.
These ailments can come from typing at a computer for hours on end during the day or from an athlete mastering their sport. You might also get repetitive stress injuries from a construction job or manufacturing work, which tends to be very repetitive.
The most common types of repetitive stress injuries include:
- Tendonitis
- Carpal tunnel
- Tennis elbow
- Trigger finger or thumb
- Osgood-Schlatter disease
- Back strains
- Shin splints
- Rotator cuff syndrome
- Cervical radiculopathy or a pinched nerve
Often, these conditions require rest and not continuing to use that area of the body in the same repetitive motion that caused the injury. The challenge with that is, that it means time off work. Moderate conditions might require a splint or occupational therapy.
In severe cases, repetitive stress injuries can cause permanent damage if patients don’t receive the proper treatment. Treatment must be timely to avoid losing function in that part of the body.
Can You Claim Workers’ Comp for Repetitive Stress in Indiana?
Yes, you can claim workers’ compensation for repetitive stress injuries to cover medical treatment expenses and lost wages due to time off work.
But these cases can be tricky and challenging to navigate due to their nature. Another factor that makes them challenging is that you might not notice the condition right away and there isn’t a specific accident date for the ailment to track everything back to.
Due to the nature of these injuries though, they can be life-altering. If you never recover fully from the incident, you might not be able to return to your original job, which can put a serious strain on your finances. Pursuing workers’ compensation can help you offset that loss in income while you pursue a new career through training and education.
Basics of a Workers’ Compensation Claim
Workers’ compensation claims require careful attention to deadlines and details. Without adequate information, your claim is more likely to be denied.
You’ll need to file your claim within 30 days of discovering your repetitive stress injury. That means from the day your doctor diagnoses your ailment as a repetitive stress injury, the clock starts for you to file it as a workers’ compensation claim.
Once your employer receives the notification of your claim, they have seven days to report it to their insurance carrier. From there, the insurance provider will investigate the claim for approval or denial.
Let’s Go Over Your Options – Schedule a Free Consultation Today
Ideally, you should have a workers’ compensation attorney help you file the claim and complete all required paperwork. This will give you the best chance of getting your claim approved initially to avoid the need for appeals and added documentation, which can take time and lead to financial challenges.
Schedule a free consultation with Stewart & Stewart now to begin the process of getting your repetitive stress injury approved for workers’ compensation.