Not all injuries that office workers suffer are caused by accidents like explosions, falls, or hits. In fact, the most common injuries that workers suffer at their office are injuries that develop over time. These kinds of injuries are caused when too much stress is placed on a part of the body, resulting in inflammation, pain, muscle strain, or tissue damage. This type of stress generally comes from repeating the same movement or postures over and over again.
People who work at offices tend to make repetitive movements, mostly those who spend a lot of time using the computer keyboard—typing, using a mouse, scanning, etc. All this cumulative effort can cause stress and some injuries, which are eligible for compensation. Repetitive stress injuries (RSIs) is the correct term for this type of injury.
To receive the best compensation benefits is essential to be represented by an experienced workers’ comp lawyer. Mainly because RSIs include more than 100 different kinds of injuries and illnesses and they vary from person to person.
These are some symptoms of these injuries:
- Pain
- Tingling
- Numbness
- Visible swelling or redness of the affected area
- Loss of flexibility and strength
Some people may have no visible sign of injury, but they may discover it is more difficult to perform everyday tasks that were not a problem before. But, over time, repetitive stress injuries can cause temporary or permanent damage to the soft tissues in the body, such as the:
- Muscles
- Nerves (Repetitive stress injuries can also cause the compression of nerves or tissue)
- Tendons
- Ligaments
If you think that you are suffering from this type of injury, you should officially contact your lawyer and start your worker’s compensation case. The compensations depend on the laws in your state. Few states set particular limits on cumulative injuries or require employees to meet higher standards for proving their RSIs were caused by work duties rather than other activities in their life.
