Most people probably picture catastrophic incidents when they think about workers’ compensation at Amazon warehouses, such as a forklift running over a warehouse worker’s foot. These kinds of injuries are undoubtedly covered by the workers’ compensation system, but that system was not created to handle exclusively these kinds of claims.
The California workers’ compensation system also provides coverage for other injury kinds, including repetitive motion injuries, which can be equally severe and challenging to recover from. If you have suffered a repetitive motion injury while working at Amazon, keep reading to learn more about these injuries. Then contact PLBH at (800) 435-7542 to request a free legal consultation.
What is a repetitive motion injury?
A repetitive motion injury, also known as a repetitive strain injury, is a type of injury or persistent discomfort that can appear in the tendons, muscles, or nerves after performing a particular movement repeatedly over time.
Imagine a factory worker whose duty it is to tighten nuts on a certain item. For eight hours each day, for forty hours each week, this worker remains still while tightening the same bolts on the same object. These repetitive actions, which are performed against resistance for 40 hours per week, may eventually have an adverse effect on the worker’s wrists and other joints.
While that might seem an extreme scenario, think about a more typical one: a worker in an office who must use a computer every day for eight hours. Carpal tunnel syndrome, a disorder that causes numbness and tingling in the hand and arm as a result of a pinched wrist nerve, can develop over time as a result of resting your wrists on the computer or mouse in a particular way. Since most organizations rely significantly on computers for many of their daily tasks, this has become incredibly prevalent.
Aside from cubital tunnel syndrome, which can develop as a result of pressure on the unlar nerve, which is located in the area of the elbow commonly referred to as the “funny bone,” other types of repetitive motion injuries include tendinosis, which is the degeneration of a tendon’s collagen due to chronic overuse, and tendinosis. Any type of job where an individual must continuously carry out the same job function, such as a baker repeatedly kneading bread, can result in these situations.
If your developed your repetitive motion injury while working then it is covered by workers’ compensation
If a repetitive motion injury is directly related to your line of work, it is covered by the California workers’ compensation system. Even though they develop gradually, repetitive motion injuries are likely to be covered by workers’ compensation as long as they are connected to your job duties, or in other words, they occurred as a result of what you were expected to accomplish at work.
What to do if you have suffered a repetitive motion injury
You should notify your employer as soon as possible if you think you have a repetitive motion injury. After that, you should visit a doctor to get the damage treated. Finally, to assist safeguard your right to workers’ compensation benefits, look for a knowledgeable workers’ compensation lawyer.
Repetitive motion injuries might be more difficult to show than other forms of workers’ compensation claims because they develop over time rather than in a single accident. An adept California workers’ compensation lawyer will be able to manage your case in a way that increases your chances of receiving reimbursement for your claim.
Our lawyers at PLBH are experienced in pursuing workers’ compensation claims on behalf of clients who have sustained workplace injuries. To arrange a free consultation, get in touch with us at (800) 435-7542 or info@plblaw.com right now.