Can I get Workers Comp for a repetitive strain injury?
Brandon J. Broderick, Personal Injury Attorney at Law
Repetitive strain injuries can be caused by ongoing, tedious activities, stress and/or heavy lifting, and is categorized as a form of "wear and tear" injury. However, you may be wondering if a repetitive strain injury is covered under?New Jersey's workers' compensation program.
Workers' compensation benefits are, in fact, available to those who suffer repetitive strain injuries at work, although they may be subject to more stringent requirements than in normal cases. An employee will need to offer solid proof that their injury was caused by their job in order to establish that it was work-related. This is because the injury and cause of a repetitive strain injury are not as obvious as those of other injuries.
It's always best to speak to an experienced?New Jersey workers' comp lawyer?about the specific circumstances of your injury and whether it qualifies for workers' comp.?Brandon J. Broderick, Attorney at Law, has helped countless people with their workers' comp cases.
Injuries That Develop Over Time
Workers frequently experience injuries as a result of their job tasks over time. Even employees who take safety steps to safeguard themselves at work still run the risk of suffering an illness or injury related to their line of work. By definition, repetitive motion injuries happen when a person does the same movement over and over again.?Carpal tunnel syndrome?is an example of an injury that develops gradually. This condition occurs when the nerves and tendons in the wrist's carpal tunnel are compressed, resulting in tingling and numbness. None of these injuries could be linked to a specific workplace incident. However, practically all of them are typical injuries that employees develop as a result of the ongoing workplace tasks.
When Should You Report Symptoms or a Workplace Injury?
Typically, you must tell your employer about your injuries within 14 days of the incident, in order to be eligible for workers' compensation benefits. If you have a valid cause for not informing your employer right away of an at-work injury, you may be able to wait up to 90 days. These deadlines may not make sense in the case of injuries that take time to manifest. However, if you inform your employer within 90 days of first realizing your injuries, you can file a claim that will likely be granted.
For instance, even though an injury resulting in hearing damage takes time to manifest, you should notify your employer the moment you see any symptoms, such as ringing in the ears or hearing loss. Next, get medical attention as soon as you can.
Seeking Medical Care
Receiving medical care after a work injury is an important stage in?filing for workers' compensation. In order to establish the connection between the injury and your job duties, an immediate medical assessment is especially important in cases of repetitive strain injuries. The most important source of proof for your workers' compensation claim will be the documents that your doctor records.
Based on how the ailment was caused and your job duties, a medical professional can assess your injury and identify the reason. If a patient spends the most of their day typing, for instance, a doctor might diagnose carpal tunnel syndrome as work-related since typing is a prominent cause of carpal tunnel syndrome, which is an example of a repetitive strain injury.
Deadlines For Filing a Workers' Comp Claim in New Jersey