While many workers who suffer work injuries do so through immediate accidents like falls, chemical exposure, or equipment accidents, there are other workplace injuries that take time to develop and occur due to overuse and repetitive stress. These are repetitive strain injuries. Repetitive strain injuries are common workplace injuries that affect thousands of workers every year.
Repetitive strain injuries (RSI) cover a wide range of health problems resulting from machine operation and other manual tasks. The seasoned attorneys at Lightfoot Law, PLLC help workers in the D.C. metro area and Maryland recover workers’ compensation by proving that RSIs are work-related. We understand the debilitating effects of RSIs and the concerns and challenges of people afflicted with them. The sooner you recognize your symptoms and seek assistance, the sooner you can get started on exploring your eligibility for workers’ compensation.
A repetitive strain injury can require protracted medical treatment and cause long absences from work. Due to inability to earn an income, many people with RSI depend upon workers’ compensation to cover their medical expenses and to partially make up for their loss of weekly wages. If you incurred a repetitive strain injury, you need an experienced workers’ compensation attorney on your side like those at Lightfoot Law, PLLC. At Lightfoot Law, PLLC, we help workers who suffer repetitive strain injuries get the benefits and compensation they need to replace lost wages and pay for outstanding medical bills.
Our repetitive strain injury attorneys are:
- Dedicated to responsive client service;
- Clear and honest communicators; and
- Successful and goal-oriented litigators.
Contact Lightfoot Law, PLLC, now to schedule your no-obligation consultation. You may meet with one of our attorneys by phone, FaceTime or Zoom, or in person, whichever you prefer.
Let Our Washington, D.C. Repetitive Strain Injury Attorneys Help You
Getting the workers’ compensation you need for a repetitive strain injury can be difficult. Often, claims are denied. Other times, full benefits are not paid for your injuries.
Proving that your injury is work-related is crucial to establishing your eligibility for workers’ compensation. Your employer or insurer may try to argue that your injury was caused by age, activities in your personal life or a health condition unrelated to your work. Building your case for compensation will involve collecting as much supportive evidence as possible. This evidence may include medical records, work logs, pay stubs, communications to your employer and any other documentation of your symptoms and their cause.
As your legal team, we will guide you through the preparation and prosecution of your workers’ compensation claim. We can also represent you on appeal in the event benefits are wholly or partially denied. We are prepared to step in at any stage of your case and chart a path toward your desired outcome.
Our repetitive strain injury attorneys do the following to ensure your workers’ compensation claim is taken seriously:
- Present sufficient medical evidence to support your medical case;
- Provide eyewitness testimony to your physical limitations;
- Hiring any necessary vocational experts to discuss the requirements of your job;
- Value your case to ensure you receive full compensation for your injuries;
- Negotiate with the insurance company on your behalf;
- Take your case to a hearing if necessary and present your case to the judge; and
- Appeal any adverse decisions.
At Lightfoot Law, our repetitive strain injury attorneys will also advise you of any legal options you may have outside of a workers’ compensation claim. Call our office in Washington, D.C., today to discuss the many ways Lightfoot Law, PLLC, will fight for you and make sure you are treated fairly by the insurance company.
What is a Repetitive Strain Injury?
Also known as repetitive stress injury, an RSI does not occur all at once but develops due to repeated physical actions over time. Some of the workplace actions that may cause RSIs include:
- Using hand tools or power tools;
- Assembling products or product components;
- Climbing ladders, scaffolding or stairs;
- Holding your hands or arms above your shoulders;
- Lifting boxes or other objects;
- Sitting in a stationary position;
- Squatting and standing repeatedly;
- Twisting, swiping and other repetitive motions;
- Typing on a computer keyboard or tablet; and
- Using a computer mouse.
Recognizing the warning signs of a repetitive strain injury can help you understand that it is time to seek medical attention and to take prompt action on making a compensation. Pain or discomfort in any part of your body that worsens during particular work activities can be a sign that you have a repetitive strain injury. An RSI can also present itself as chronic pain or as stiffness, swelling, throbbing, cramping, numbness, tingling, burning, weakness or loss of mobility.
Common types of repetitive strain injuries include:
- Carpal tunnel syndrome;
- Bursitis;
- Tendonitis;
- Tenosynovitis;
- Tendinosis;
- Cubital tunnel syndrome;
- Lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow);
- Medial epicondylitis (golfer’s elbow); and
- Stenosing tenosynovitis (trigger finger).
Furthermore, repetitive motions in one part of the body can affect the muscles and nerves in other parts. An RSI can be further aggravated by psychological stress.
Common occupations to suffer from repetitive strain injury are:
- Office workers;
- Dental hygienists;
- Construction workers who use power tools;
- Cleaners; and
- Cooks.
D.C. Workers’ Compensation and Repetitive Strain Injury
In Washington, D.C., workers’ compensation, the date the doctor tells you that your repetitive strain injury is related to work activity is the date of your injury for workers’ compensation purposes. There is a thirty-day window from that date to give your employer notice that the repetitive strain injury is related to work activity.
It is imperative to give notice as workers’ compensation insurance adjusters are trained to look for lack of notice in every claim. Lack of notice could result in a delay or denial of workers’ compensation benefits altogether.
Therefore, after any repetitive strain injury in Washington, D.C., do the following:
- Ensure the doctor documents in writing that a work activity caused or contributed to the injury;
- Tell a supervisor or the appropriate human resources contact that the injury was caused by work within thirty days; and
- File a workers’ compensation claim with the help of an experienced workers’ compensation attorney.
Contact an Experienced Washington, D.C. Repetitive Strain Injury Attorney Today
At Lightfoot Law, PLLC, we have the knowledge and experience needed to handle any type of workers’ compensation claim on your behalf. Whether you simply suspect you are suffering from an RSI or have already been diagnosed, our attorneys are here to help you with filing for workers’ compensation. We can also connect you with a physician qualified to evaluate your injury.
Located in Washington, D.C., the law firm of Lightfoot Law, PLLC helps D.C. area and Maryland workers with repetitive strain injuries claim workers’ compensation and appeal claim denials. To schedule your free initial consultation with our office, call us at (202) 919-5453or contact us online.