Workers Comp for Repetitive Stress Injuries - Kansas City Injury Lawyer

By James M. Hoffmann  Aug. 19, 2016 11:59a

When we think of work-related injuries, we often think of serious injuries at work like slips and falls, machinery related accidents, injuries due to hazardous work environment or other traumatic injuries. Not much attention is paid to repetitive stress injuries, although they are very common, and are one of the most common reasons workers compensation benefits are sought. In this post,our Kansas City Workers Comp Attorneywill discuss the results of Martindale-Nolo Research's 2015 workers’ compensation study with regards to repetitive stress injuries.

What is a repetitive stress injury (RSI)?

Repetitive stress injuries are those that develop over a period of time. Such injuries are caused due to the overuse of certain joints or muscles causing stress on that particular joint or muscle. For example, a worker in warehouse who lifts heavy loads can injure his back due to the repeated pressure and strain on his back.

Hernia, sciatica, carpel tunnel syndrome, ulnar nerve entrapment are all examples of repetitive stress injuries that can be caused due to work. These injuries are painful and affect the worker’s ability to perform his/her duties.

Worker compensation benefits for repetitive stress injuries

According to the study:

• On an average, workers who suffer from work-related repetitive stress injuries have received around $13,600 to $22,100 as part of their compensation claim.
• It takes about one year and four months or 16.1 months for a filed compensation claim to clear.
• About 75 percent of workers who claimed for compensation were compensated whereas only 25 percent were not.
• The compensation differed from worker to worker, where 57 percent workers received compensation that were $10000 or lesser, 29% between $10000 to $40000 and only a 14 percent received compensation awards higher than $40000.
• Where other types of compensation claims took about 15.7 months to clear, claims related to RSI’s took only slightly longer – 16.1 months.
• About 48% of workers who had filed for RSI related claims were initially denied claims compensation.
• About 40% of workers who were denied compensation had to file for an appeal or request a hearing for resubmission of their compensation claim.

Why should you speak with a lawyer for a repetitive stress injury claim?

Because repetitive stress injuries develop over a period of time without any single traumatic event to prove development of the injury, and the nature of repetitive stress injuries being complex, it is usually difficult to get the insurance companies to pay for repetitive stress injury claims.

The study claims that those who hired lawyers for filing claims had higher settlement amounts and were more satisfied than those who did not hire lawyers.

Have you developed a repetitive stress injury because of the work you do?

Making a claim for a repetitive stress injury claim can be very complicated. An experienced attorney at the Law Office of James M. Hoffmann can evaluate your claim for free and help you get ALL of the Missouri workers compensation benefits you are entitled to. Call(816) 399-3706 to schedule a free consultaton.