When most people think about work-related injuries, they usually think about catastrophic injuries. But that’s not the only type of injury that workers can suffer from while they’re working. Cumulative trauma injuries are another type that can occur.
One of the main issues with cumulative trauma injuries is that they often occur slowly. They’re the result of the worker doing the same task repetitively, which leads to progressively worse damage to the affected body part.
Symptoms can appear slowly
The symptoms of a cumulative trauma injury will often appear slowly. At first, the pain may be bothersome, but it may abate some with rest. As the injury worsens over time, the pain may become increasingly worse until it’s impossible to ignore. The progressive nature of this type of injury can make it difficult to document because there’s a single incident date.
Cumulative trauma injuries are often compensable under workers’ compensation; however, the process might not be easy. There are specific time limits that apply to these cases. Since there’s no incident date, it might be challenging to prove that the claim was made within the allotted time.
These injuries may have a negative impact on the worker’s ability to perform their job duties, but the effects likely don’t stop there. They may also notice changes to how they handle daily life activities like cooking, cleaning or driving.
Workers’ compensation coverage should cover medical care expenses and may provide other benefits. It’s possible that workers may have to fight to receive what they’re due. It may be beneficial to work with someone who can handle an appeal when it becomes necessary.
