Is Tendonitis Considered a Workplace Injury?
Work-related tendonitis is a severe injury that could make you suffer from debilitating pain and movement difficulties.
While home remedies like cold compress could alleviate minor tendonitis, worse conditions may require intensive treatments and surgeries. It could thus lead you to significant medical expenses and a prolonged period off from work while recovering.
You thus probably wonder if you can claim workers’ compensation for tendonitis to cover your financial losses.
If yes, what are the points you must remember for a successful benefits claim?
Understanding Work-Related Tendonitis
Tendonitis is the inflammation of tendons or the tissues that connect the bones to the muscles and may cause symptoms like:
- Excessive pain, especially when moving the affected body part
- Movement difficulties with or without pain
- Swelling and tenderness
Certain workers typically sustain this health problem because of overexertion and repetitive stress when performing work-related activities. It could occur on different body parts but is usually on the legs, arms, shoulders, and back area.
For example, frequently lifting heavy loads could irritate the tendons in the arms, shoulders, or back and cause inflammation. Another example is sustaining a tennis elbow because of repetitive arm movements while using the computer for long hours.
You may treat this condition with simple remedies like cold compress and supporting the affected area with plastic bandages. However, severe conditions may require medications and surgeries, like in the cases of ruptured tendons.
It’s thus better to seek immediate medical check-ups when you notice pain, swelling, tenderness, and numbness on any body part. This step helps you avoid complications while helping you claim your deserved workers’ comp.
Claiming Workers’ Compensation for Tendonitis
You have the right to claim workers’ compensation after sustaining any work-related injuries, including tendonitis. However, the insurance provider would probably try to damage your claim and prove that your condition isn’t work-related.
For example, you sustain work-related tendonitis, but the insurance adjuster discovered that you are also active in sports. They may try to prove that your condition resulted from sports activities and not work-related tasks.
It’s thus crucial to remember these points to get the best outcomes from your benefits claim:
1. Consult a Doctor Immediately
An immediate medical check-up helps you avoid complications as you can receive proper treatment immediately. It’s also helpful for your claim because immediately consulting a physician helps prove your injury.
For example, you can tell the doctor that frequent lifting tasks at the workplace caused your tennis elbow. They can verify your testimony and provide a medical report to support your claim.
2. Hire a Workers’ Comp Attorney
As mentioned above, proving your workplace tendonitis could be challenging as the condition may also result from other activities.
You should thus hire a Glendale workers’ compensation lawyer to represent you in settlement and court trials. They will protect your claim from the insurance provider’s tactics and get your deserved compensation amount.
3. Gather Workplace Evidence
You must also collect sufficient evidence to prove that your condition is work-related. Excellent pieces of evidence to consider are:
- Your coworkers’ testimonies proving the workplace activities that caused your injury
- Video footage that shows you were performing workplace activities that could cause your health problem
Consult with your attorney to help gather vital evidence for your claim.
Hire a Workers’ Compensation Attorney in Glendale to Claim Benefits for Tendonitis
As you can see, you may claim workers’ compensation benefits to cover your financial losses because of work-related tendonitis. However, you must prove that you sustained your injury in the workplace to win your case and claim your deserved compensation.
Consulting a Glendale workers’ compensation lawyer will help prove your work-related injury and optimize your challenging case.