Injury In Idaho

Can I File for Workers’ Compensation if I Have a Repetitive Stress Injury?

 

Too often, workers are under the impression that they’re only eligible for workers’ compensation benefits if they’ve suffered an acute injury as a result of an accident. In reality, workers who are eligible for workers’ compensation benefits can submit proper claims whenever they incur work-related injuries and/or occupational illnesses that have been sustained due to work-related activities. As long as your work-related injury or occupational illness has resulted in the need to seek medical care and/or has cost you the ability to work for any number of days, you likely have legitimate grounds to submit a workers’ compensation claim. This is true whether your injury or illness resulted from a single event, repeated trauma, or repeated exposure to toxic substances.

Workers’ Compensation and Repetitive Trauma

If you’ve sustained an injury as a result of work-related repetitive trauma and you’re eligible to file for workers’ compensation, you are entitled to file a claim for your repetitive stress injury. With that said, if you haven’t sought any medical care for said injury and it hasn’t caused you to miss any work, simply be aware that there is nothing to “claim” at this point. If this is the case, simply know that the option is available to you in the future, should your injury require medical care or cause you to miss work.

If you are in a position to file a claim due to medical expenses and/or leave from work, you’ll need to be formally diagnosed. Please speak with our firm about whether you’ll need to see a provider within a specific network in order to meet the requirements of the workers’ compensation system. You’ll need a formal diagnosis to support your claim that your injury was caused by repetitive stress related to work activities. Sometimes, insurance claims adjusters try to argue that repetitive stress injuries are caused by a worker’s personal lifestyle, as opposed to work-related duties. Our firm will help to ensure that you have the evidentiary support you’ll need to process your claim successfully. To that end, please be cautious as you engage with social media at this time. If a claims adjuster sees a picture of you rock climbing as they are processing your claim for hand and wrist trauma, they may be inclined to conclude that your trauma was not caused by work-related activities, but by your personal choices.

Legal Assistance Is Available

Whether your injury occurred as a result of an accident or repetitive trauma, if it was caused by work-related activities and your employer and position are covered by workers’ compensation protection, you likely have grounds to file a legitimate claim for benefits. If you have questions about a work injury case, contact a work injury lawyer, for more information contact our friends at Law Offices of Franks, Koenig & Neuwelt .

 

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