Workers’ compensation benefits help people in a variety of different situations. Sometimes, people get hurt in a machinery malfunction or similar incident. They report the situation to management, creating a clear internal record of how they sustained their injuries.
Other times, workers develop occupational diseases. Repetitive strain injuries are a common type of medical issue that can develop because of employment responsibilities. Carpal tunnel syndrome is perhaps the best-known repetitive strain disorder, although there are a host of conditions that affect a variety of different body parts.
People who have medical conditions related to their employment sometimes feel uncertain about their eligibility for benefits. Especially when they didn’t get hurt because of a single incident, they may worry about qualifying.
Can workers’ compensation cover the expenses of treating a repetitive strain injury and allowing a worker time away from their job to heal?
The worker may be eligible for benefits
To secure workers’ compensation benefits for an occupational illness, workers have to directly connect their condition to their employment and establish that their condition influences their ability to keep working. Repetitive strain injuries can cause people intense discomfort when they perform basic job functions.
In some cases, the pain workers experience may force them to slow down when performing job functions. They may no longer be able to meet company expectations about productivity, which can put their employment at risk. Other times, the limitations caused by repetitive strain can prevent workers from safely performing certain job responsibilities.
The sooner a worker gets diagnosed, the better their chances of preventing the condition from worsening. A leave of absence combined with treatment can potentially lead to an employee regaining lost functionality or decreasing the pain that they experience.
Workers’ compensation can pay for the treatment necessitated by a repetitive strain injury. It can also replace lost wages when someone requires time away from work. An employee typically needs medical records confirming their symptoms and their connection to their work. If employers try to question the connection between a job and an injury, workers may need help getting the benefits they require.
Discussing symptoms and their connection to job responsibilities with a skilled legal team can help workers evaluate the strength of their benefits claim. In theory, workers’ compensation benefits are able to help those with repetitive strain injuries that affect their ability to work. Proper medical records and support during a claim can increase an employee’s chances of getting the help they require.