How Serious are Repetitive Stress Injuries?
When most people think of work injuries, they think of traumatic injuries like broken bones, lacerations, puncture wounds, head trauma, and more. However, repetitive stress injuries are one of the most common workplace injuries a person can sustain. However, employees often run into roadblocks when it comes to securing compensation for repetitive stress injuries. Here, we want to discuss the seriousness of repetitive stress or repetitive motion injuries as well as why you may need to seek assistance from an attorney to help you recover compensation in these situations.
What are Repetitive Stress Injuries?
These types of injuries are caused when workers have to perform the same manual tasks over and over again for long periods of time or when they have to sit or stand in the same position for extended periods of time. Data available from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) indicates that repetitive stress injuries are one of the fastest-growing occupational injuries across the country.
Perhaps the most well-known type of repetitive motion injury is carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). Commonly associated with office work and typing on a computer, there are various ways that individuals can sustain CTS injuries. This can affect a person’s ability to use their wrists or hands appropriately and significantly impact their work and personal life.
However, there are various other types of repetitive stress injuries that a person can sustain. Without going into detail about each of these, this list includes the most common types of RSIs:
- Bursitis
- Tendinitis
- Raynaud’s disease
- Radial tunnel syndrome
- Impingement syndrome
- Blackberry thumb (DeQuervain’s syndrome)
- Ulnar tunnel syndrome
- Trigger finger
- Dystonia (writer’s cramp)
- Nerve entrapment disorders
- Rotator cuff injuries
- Knee injuries (ACL or MCL)
- Epicondylitis, aka tennis elbow
- Ganglion
- Tenosynovitis
- Thoracic outlet syndrome
There are a wide variety of ways that these injuries can occur. As we mentioned, repetitive motion injuries are usually caused by a person performing the same motion over and over again. However, these injuries can also be caused by:
- Using equipment that vibrates
- Performing forceful movements on the job
- Working in awkward positions
- Using poorly designed equipment
- Working in environments that are not ergonomically sound
- Failing to take work breaks
- Lifting awkwardly shaped objects
Can These Injuries Affect Your Life?
Repetitive stress injuries can have a devastating impact on a person’s work and personal life. Even though these injuries are not caused by a single traumatic incident, they can still lead to excruciating pain and a loss of mobility. It is not uncommon for those who sustain repetitive stress injuries to no longer be able to perform work tasks or their regular everyday activities.
Why You Need an Attorney to Help With These Cases
Any person who sustains a repetitive stress injury on the job should be able to recover compensation for their losses. The workers’ compensation system in Georgia will provide coverage of these injuries, but insurance carriers and employers may put up a fight when it comes to paying these claims. It can be more difficult to prove that repetitive stress injuries happened as a result of workplace activities. You may need assistance from a skilled Atlanta work injury lawyer who can help you prove the cause of the repetitive stress injury and recover the compensation you need.