By Brody Reid
Some jobs obliged workers to repeatedly do some actions or movements for more than a couple of times. The nature of the job where repetition is common can cause painful injuries. The injuries usually affect the shoulders, knees, backs, hands and other joints.
Most workers in Richmond, VA suffers work-related repetitive motion injury like carpal tunnel syndrome, epicondylitis and tendonitis. And those affected employees are entitled to worker’s compensation benefits.
Workers Compensation in Richmond VA for Repetitive Motion Injury
Motion injuries are often caused by repetitive movements and awkward positions. These repetitive motions can cause strains, tears, and other injuries that may lead to permanent damage. Workers compensation richmond va is designed to provide financial benefits to employees who have suffered injury due to their job duties.
The Federal Employees Compensation Act (FECA) was created in 1956, and it provides federal employees with basic medical care and monetary benefits when they are injured while working. The law also covers employees of any company that has a contract with the federal government or any agency of the federal government.
Benefits provided by workers compensation in Richmond VA include:
- General liability coverage pays for wage loss, medical expenses and death benefits if you are injured at work. This type of coverage is provided by most states.
- Fired or laid off from your job? If you were not fired or laid off for good cause and had no previous injury record, you may have coverage under this category.
- Medical payments coverage provides reimbursement for medical expenses not covered by your general liability policy if you have suffered an injury on the job. Financial support for dependents of injured workers; and
- Payments for lost wages due to injury or death.
What is a Repetitive Motion Injury?
RSI often occurs when the muscles become overused or fatigued and cannot recover between repetitions. Repetitive strain injury – This occurs when muscles become strained and damaged through overuse.
The Centers for Disease Control estimates that RSI affects 1 in 3 workers at some workplace in the U.S. every year. In addition to causing pain, RSI can also cause decreased physical function, reduced strength and stamina, decreased mobility, and even depression.
RSI is most commonly caused by overuse injuries, which result from poor ergonomics in the workplace. In many cases, workers who suffer from RSI do not experience any symptoms until their condition has worsened significantly.
Workers who are suffering from RSI may experience:
- Pain in your hands and wrists
- Joint fatigue
- Muscle weakness or cramping
- Tingling in your fingers and/or toes
The best way to prevent these injuries is through proper ergonomics where you are working at an adjustable height and distance from your computer screen so that you do not sit with your wrists in awkward positions for long periods of time. You should also ask your employer if they have any programs in place to help reduce or eliminate these types of injuries as well as provide proper training for employees who need it.
Repetitive Motion Injuries Causes
Most cases of repetitive motion injuries result in lost time from work and compensation for medical expenses. If you have been injured by a machine or tool that was dangerous because of its speed, size or position, you may be entitled to compensation for pain and suffering as well as lost wages due to your injury. A workers compensation lawyer can help you determine your rights under Virginia law and get the compensation you deserve for your injuries.
Repetitive motion injuries can be caused by a number of factors including:
- Mechanical stress such as lifting heavy objects or working at a computer for long periods of time
- Fatigue caused by working long hours with little or no breaks
- Injury due to an injury in the past (such as an accident)
The types of repetitive motion that cause these injuries are varied and include things like typing, sewing, assembling toys, making clothes and many more. The most common type of repetitive motion injury is carpal tunnel syndrome but there are other types of these types of medical conditions which may be related to your work environment.
What are the common work-welated eepetitive motion injuries?
Repetitive motion injuries are an occupational health concern for many workers. These injuries can occur in any type of workplace but are most common in manufacturing, construction and other manual labor jobs. The most common repetitive motion injuries include:
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Compared to the common neck and back injuries, carpal tunnel is a hand injury. It is an injury common to workers that are working in manufacturing business such as sewing, poultry, assembly-line work and fish processing. The common symptoms of this injury include numbness or tingling feeling in the fingers, burning, difficulty in gripping, and discomfort both in forearm and wrist.
Carpal tunnel syndrome is an injury that can damage the median nerve and cause pain in the arms. The treatment for this injury involves stabilizing the injured part and complete rest. Also, it is an injury that will be needing rest from work for a long period. Some serious cases of carpal tunnel injuries require surgery.
Epicondylitis
Epicondylitis is the most common Work-Related Repetitive Motion Injury (WRMI) in workers. It occurs in the tendons of the elbow, making it a very common injury for those who use their hands often. The condition is caused by overuse and can occur after a single incident of injury or after years of repetitive motion. The most common cause of epicondylitis is repetitive motion, such as using a computer keyboard, mouse or steering wheel.
The tendon sheath that protects the tendon from being stretched too far can become injured if it is repeatedly stretched beyond its normal range of motion. This can lead to inflammation and swelling at the site where the tendon attaches to bone or cartilage.
Epicondylitis causes pain in one or both elbows, which may radiate into the upper arm and shoulder area. A person may also experience numbness and tingling near their elbow joints.
Tendonitis
Tendonitis is an injury that results from repeated motions done as part of normal work activities. It is a type of injury that involves repeated overuse of tendons connected to the bones and muscles.
Tendonitis usually occurs to senior or middle-aged workers due to overuse of the tendons. Often, these tendons swell and inflame in the upper arm, Achilles tendon, and hand.
Takeaway
Besides the common work injury caused by accidents, repetitive motion injuries are also common in the workplace. With these kinds of injuries, workers and employees extend to have a certain rest period with pay included in the company’s health coverage.
In the end, you might want to consider taking this information and speaking to a lawyer or workers compensation richmond va attorney. They’ll be able to walk you through the process of filing for workers compensation in Virginia, in a bit more detail than we have here. Now that you know what kind of information to gather, it’s time to determine your eligibility for workers’ comp benefits.
About the Author
Brody Reid is an experienced and zealous trial attorney. Focusing on assisting injured individuals and their families during tough times, Brody has worked tirelessly to help individuals in his hometown in the years since law school. Throughout his career, Brody has successfully represented over a thousand clients in the areas of Workers’ Compensation, Personal Injury, and Civil Litigation through jury trials, bench trials, and administrative proceedings.
