Repetitive stress injuries and your right to compensation

Not all work injuries are the result of an accident in the workplace. You can suffer serious, often debilitating, injuries simply by doing your job on a daily basis. Repetitive stress injuries are common for many Minnesota workers, but they are often overlooked and dismissed as minor and insignificant.

Any type of work injury is serious, and if you are suffering from a repetitive stress injury as the result of your job, you have the right to workers’ compensation benefits. It can be difficult to secure rightful support for these types of unseen injuries, but you do not have to walk through the process without assistance.

Who is vulnerable?

Anyone can suffer a repetitive stress injury, which develops over months, even years, of doing the same task repeatedly. Workers who may be more vulnerable to this type of injury include those whose jobs are repetitive in nature, including those who do the following:

• Typing
• Lifting
• Assembling
• Sewing
• Driving or sitting for extended periods of time

These workers may first realize that there could be a problem when they begin experiencing tingling, shooting pain and weakness in their extremities. If left untreated, these injuries could result in limited mobility and, eventually, an inability to continue with the same line of employment.

Tendonitis is one of the most common types of repetitive stress injuries, but workers may also experience any of the following:

• Carpal tunnel
• Bursitis
• Damage to the back
• Joint problems
• Cubital tunnel syndrome
• Nerve compression

Workers who experience these types of injuries should not ignore the symptoms of cumulative trauma, but can find great benefit in seeking medical attention from a trained professional. With the right treatment, possible surgery or rehabilitation, it is possible to effectively deal with these injuries and return to work.

Fighting for the benefits you deserve

Employers and insurance providers are not always eager to pay workers for unseen injuries. If you experienced a repetitive stress injury, a lawyer can increase your chance of a successful claim, advocate for your full recovery and help you fight for the benefits you deserve. The workers’ compensation system is complex, and it can be daunting to continue fighting, even after a denied claim, but you do not have to fight this alone.