Most workers are well aware that they could be injured in a one-time event. Someone could slip and fall on the job, hit their head and suffer from a traumatic brain injury. A worker trying to lift a heavy item could strain their back or suffer a spinal cord injury. Acute circumstances like these allow a worker to immediately recognize the exact event that caused their harm.
But it’s also important to remember that some injuries develop as long-term work conditions. For instance, repetitive motion can lead to the breakdown of tissues that can’t be repaired quickly enough. This can lead to inflammation and pain, as well as serious injury.
Consider tennis elbow. Tennis players often begin to experience this condition because they swing the racket the same way thousands and thousands of times. Most people don’t actually get tennis elbow from playing tennis, however. An assembly line worker who has to do the same motion over and over, day in and day out, could develop this ailment, as could a construction worker, a commercial fisherman or anyone else who uses their arms in specific ways, day in and day out.
Workers’ comp may be available
In a situation like this, medical professionals can help to determine the link between a person’s occupation and the injury that they have developed. That injury may require significant medical care, rehabilitation, physical therapy and more. The worker may also not be able to perform their duties while dealing with the pain, especially tasks – and the repetitive motion that they necessitate – that led to the injury.
As a result, workers who are dealing with these types of issues need to know about their options to seek workers’ comp benefits to help cover some of these costs as they seek treatment and recover. Seeking legal guidance is a good way to get started.