If you tore your rotator cuff while moving oversized potted trees at an Altadena nursery, you can file a California workers’ compensation claim for medical care and lost wages. The key to a strong claim is connecting the tear to your job duties through prompt reporting, clear medical documentation, and a detailed account of the lifting you do every day. Shoulder injuries are frequently disputed, so building that record early matters.
How Do Nursery Workers Tear Their Rotator Cuffs?
Nursery work in Altadena involves constant heavy lifting, often without proper equipment. Boxed and potted trees can weigh well over 100 pounds once the soil is wet, and workers frequently move them by hand or with a dolly over uneven ground. Common causes of rotator cuff tears include:
- Lifting heavy containers overhead or onto truck beds and shelving
- Jerking or twisting motions when a pot shifts or tips
- Pulling loaded carts and flatbeds across gravel or slopes
- Years of repetitive lifting that gradually wears down the tendons
Is a Rotator Cuff Tear a Specific or Cumulative Injury?
California recognizes both types, and how your injury is classified affects your claim:
- Specific injury: A single event, such as feeling a pop or sharp pain while lifting one tree.
- Cumulative trauma: Damage that builds over months or years of repetitive lifting and reaching.
Many nursery workers have both. A sudden tear may happen on a single day, but years of heavy lifting often weakened the shoulder first. Telling your doctor about your full work history helps capture the complete picture.
What Evidence Strengthens a Shoulder Injury Claim?
Insurance carriers often argue that rotator cuff tears are caused by aging or activities outside of work. You can counter that argument with solid evidence:
- A written injury report submitted to your supervisor as soon as possible
- A DWC-1 claim form, which your employer must give you within one working day of learning about the injury
- Imaging results, such as an MRI, confirming the tear
- A description of your job duties, including the size and weight of the trees you move and how often you lift them
- Witness statements from coworkers who saw the injury or know the physical demands of the job
What Benefits Can You Receive?
Through a California workers’ compensation claim, an injured nursery worker may receive:
- Medical treatment, including physical therapy, injections, and surgical repair if needed
- Temporary disability payments, generally about two-thirds of your average weekly wages while you are off work
- Permanent disability benefits if you lose strength or range of motion in the shoulder
- A supplemental job displacement voucher for retraining if you cannot return to heavy lifting
While your employer decides whether to accept the claim, it must authorize up to $10,000 in medical treatment.
What If the Insurance Company Disputes Your Claim?
Disputes over rotator cuff injuries often turn on medical opinions. If the insurer challenges whether surgery is necessary or how much permanent disability you have, you may be evaluated by a Qualified Medical Evaluator. Having an attorney prepare you for that evaluation and review the report can significantly affect your benefits. Our attorneys include a State Bar Certified Workers’ Compensation Specialist with deep experience handling these disputes.
Get Help From PLBH With Your Altadena Shoulder Injury
A torn rotator cuff can keep you from lifting, working, and earning for months. PLBH has helped injured workers across Southern California secure the medical care and benefits they are owed, and you can see some of those outcomes on our case highlights page. Call (800) 435-7542 today for a free, confidential consultation and let our team protect your claim while you focus on recovery.