Riverside Repetitive Motion Injury Claims Lawyers
Fighting for Workers’ Comp Benefits for Injured and Disabled Workers in Riverside
In California, you are guaranteed compensation for a work-related injury. Not every injury is easy to prove, however. Tripping down the stairs in the office building is a clear workplace injury; a slow-building injury brought on by years of performing the same workplace tasks can be much more difficult to prove. If you are one of the millions of Americans suffering from a repetitive motion injury formed on the job, you have the right to compensation, but you need the right legal help to get it.
At Ochoa & Calderon, our seasoned California repetitive motion injury attorneys have over two decades of experience helping injured workers get the medical care and benefits they are owed after an on-the-job injury. We work for injured employees suffering from all manner of workplace injury or illness, regardless of whether proving the workplace connection is simple or complex. If you were hurt because of your work, you are entitled to coverage for your medical bills, lost wages, and other expenses. We can help.
What is a Repetitive Motion Injury?
Repetitive motion injury, also called repetitive strain, repetitive stress, overuse injury, or cumulative trauma, is a condition that can arise over time from repeating certain movements regularly and for long stretches over an extended period. Repeated, stressful movements can lead to chronic pain and functional limitations, caused by cumulative damage to the muscles, nerves, or tendons. Even relatively simple movements, such as typing, can lead to repetitive motion injury if performed repeatedly, every day, for a long period of time.
Common Types of Repetitive Motion Injury
Repetitive motion injury can manifest in a variety of ways depending on the nature of the injured party’s work. Repetitive stress injuries often manifest in the wrist, knees, shoulders, fingers, elbows, neck, or back, caused by repeated motions straining the joints and muscles in those body parts. Some of the more common work-related repetitive stress injuries include:
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Tendinosis
- Lower back strain
- Cubital Tunnel Syndrome
- Epicondylitis (tennis elbow)
- Trigger finger
Repetitive motion injury is common among construction workers, dock workers, factory workers, and anyone else whose job involves repeated lifting and turning, as well as anyone who works in an uncomfortable position for a long time. Repetitive stress injury is also common among office workers and anyone whose position involves repeating the same motion over and over every day.
Does California Workers’ Comp Cover Repetitive Motion Injury?
California employers are required to carry workers’ compensation insurance covering all manner of workplace injuries. Any injury or illness that can be tied to performing job duties, whether they occur at the office, the job site, or on a work trip, must be covered by workers’ compensation. Repetitive motion injury is no different from a work-related car accident: If the injury is caused by performing work-related duties, then California workers’ compensation must cover the injury.
Obtaining compensation for a repetitive stress injury, however, might not be as straightforward. In many cases, the injury is obvious: Someone falls at work or gets their hand stuck in heavy machinery and seeks compensation on that basis. Repetitive stress injury, on the other hand, occurs over time and can be caused by many factors. Non-work conduct such as sports and other recreational activities may contribute to the injury. In order to recover workers’ compensation for a repetitive motion injury, the worker must be able to prove that the injury actually occurred at work because of job-related duties.
How to Prove a Workers’ Comp Claim for Repetitive Motion Injury
Most repetitive motion injuries are musculoskeletal conditions, meaning they affect the muscles, tendons, nerves, and ligaments. You can identify a repetitive stress injury through chronic pain, numbness, tingling sensations, or noted functional limitations in muscles you use daily as part of your job. Proving a repetitive motion injury is work-related can be tricky.
With help from your attorney and your doctor, you must be able to demonstrate that your repetitive motion injury arose as a result of your work, and not because of other non-work activities. A skilled personal injury lawyer can walk you through how to gather the evidence necessary to prove that your injury was caused by your employment and identify the pitfalls to avoid that could weaken your case.
Our Riverside Repetitive Motion Injury Lawyers Are Ready to Help You Recover the Benefits You Are Owed
For help getting benefits after an on-the-job injury or workplace illness, call Ochoa & Calderon to discuss your case with a passionate and trial-ready California workers’ comp lawyer. Call 951-901-4444 in Riverside or 844-401-0750 toll-free throughout Southern California.
