Manhattan Repetitive Stress Injury Lawyer

A lot of people can link their sore wrists or back to their jobs. Unfortunately, most do not know that they may be entitled to compensation for that pain. Your employers are required to provide adequate safety equipment and training that shows you how to do your job safely to avoid these long-term injuries. These injuries can get progressively worse over time if workers do not rest or modify their movements.

If you work in a job that requires you to repeat the same motions every day and you are dealing with chronic pain, you could have a repetitive stress injury. As long as you can link the injury to your job, these injuries may be covered under your company’s workers’ compensation insurance. Our Manhattan repetitive stress injury lawyers at Shulman & Hill can help you apply for benefits to help cover your treatment.

What is a Repetitive Stress Injury (RSI)?

Repetitive stress injuries are when damage to your muscles, tendons, and nerves build up from repetitive motions. Here are some examples of typical work-related RSIs:

Carpal Tunnel

One of the most well-known RSIs is carpal tunnel. Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs when the median nerve on your hand gets compressed. This nerve brings sensation to most of your fingers. This compression puts extra pressure on your wrist and other nerve endings and can lead to pain and inflammation. People who work in manufacturing, construction, or who use a keyboard daily may be more at risk for developing carpal tunnel than others.

Tennis Elbow

Those with tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis) suffer from painful inflammation in the elbow. You may feel this on the outside of the elbow and, sometimes, radiating down the back of the forearm. The pain is mostly felt when you extend your arm. Tennis elbow is set off by anything that causes you to bend your elbow repetitively. Jobs that involve swinging a hammer or painting, for example, may cause tennis elbow.

Bursitis

This repetitive stress injury involves inflammation of the bursae—which are the fluid-filled sacs around your joints. This injury causes pain to the area and limits movement in the joint. Prepatellar bursitis (which affects the kneecap) commonly occurs in those who bend their knees repeatedly, stay on the knees for long periods of time, or participate in a lot of sports-related activities.

Do I Have a Repetitive Stress Injury?

Some repetitive stress injuries are tough to diagnose. For example, some symptoms of carpal tunnel and tennis elbow can mirror signs of arthritis. When symptoms first start showing up, many people can also assume that they have simply strained a muscle. Symptoms of common stress injuries include:

• Numbness or tingling in your hands and fingers
• Aches or pains
• Cramping
• Weakness or loss of grip strength
• Stiffness
• Worsening pain and other symptoms in colder temperatures

Causes of Manhattan Repetitive Stress Injuries

There are many job-related activities in different industries that can cause repetitive stress injuries. Examples include:

• Typing/computer use
• Poor posture, or any kind of task that requires being in an awkward position for a good length of time
• Lifting patients or other heavy objects
• Jackhammering
• Frequent use of tools
• Landscaping
• Window washing
• Pipe setting
• Plumbing
• Overhead work
• Carrying out any high-intensity movements for a long period of time without resting

Treatment and Prevention for Manhattan Repetitive Stress Injuries

Treatment for repetitive stress injuries varies depending on the specific type of injury. Some injuries require you to rest the affected area to allow the inflammation to subside. This could mean days or weeks off of work. Other injuries require steroid shots or ultrasound therapy to keep symptoms at bay. In severe cases, surgery is needed to provide relief.

If your injury is less severe but still bothersome, make sure you are doing what you can to ensure the injury does not get any worse. Prevention strategies for repetitive stress injuries include:

• Maintaining proper posture at work. This includes when you are sitting, lifting, and bending.
• Making sure to take regular breaks from repeated motions. Smaller, frequent breaks are best.
• Making sure your chair has adequate support if you are sitting all day.
• Using an ergonomic keyboard and mouse.

How Can I Seek Compensation For a Repetitive Stress Injury in Manhattan?

When you develop a repetitive stress injury, it is important to get it checked before it is too late. If you ignore your symptoms of chronic pain, you could damage your muscles, tissues, and nerves. Some people ignore the symptoms to forgo the inconvenience and cost of treatment. Repetitive stress injury diagnosis and treatment often include multiple doctor’s appointments, x-rays, and other diagnostic tests. The financial impact adds up quickly.

Many people think of workers’ compensation as something you claim when you have a sudden injury at work. In fact, it also covers work-related injuries that developed over long periods of time. Workers’ compensation benefits, if approved, will provide weekly payments to help with medical costs and lost wages. The first step is filling out the required paperwork and providing sufficient proof of the nature of your injury. This is where an experienced repetitive stress injuries attorney can be valuable.

How Can Shulman & Hill Help With Repetitive Stress Injury Claims?

To claim workers’ compensation benefits for a repetitive stress injury, you just have to prove that it happened as a result of your job. However, this can be tricky with an injury that develops over time. It might require multiple pieces of evidence to prove that the injury developed as a direct result of the repeated actions you carry out on the job.

Our Manhattan repetitive stress injury attorneys can thoroughly investigate your case to make sure you have the necessary amount of documentation to prove your claim. Unfortunately, insurance companies can be quick to question your case and may try to find ways to limit the amount of benefits you receive.

Our attorneys know exactly how to respond. If you believe that your injury is the result of job-related activity, call Shulman & Hill at 212.221.1000 today for expert assistance. You can also schedule a free consultation online.