Do Women Receive Less Workers’ Compensation Benefits in St. Louis?

When women get injured at the workplace, they may not be getting the work comp benefits they deserve.

Women's Workers Comp

A worker who gets injured at work may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. An injured worker generally cannot file a lawsuit against the employer and must depend entirely on workers’ compensation benefits to cover medical costs and lost wages. Workers’ compensation benefits can include ongoing disability benefits in case the injuries have affected the worker’s ability to work. If you have been injured at work, you may face some difficulties in proving that your injury is work-related and getting the benefits that you deserve. In such cases, it is important to seek help from a St. Louis worker compensation lawyer, especially if the injury has affected your ongoing ability to work.

However, in a recent article published in the New Yorker, new evidence suggests that not all workers are being treated equally when it comes to workers’ compensation. When women get injured at the workplace, they may not be getting the work comp benefits they deserve.

Women and Workers’ Compensation Benefits

Several examples are provided of how women workers may be at a disadvantage when it comes to the workers compensation system. According to the article one of the problems is related to the fact that there are higher chances of a female worker being examined by a male doctor after she sustains a work related injury.

The level of injury and disability is determined by the doctors. This directly affects the workers compensation benefits that the injured worker receives. When a female worker sustains an injury, they may be asked to undergo an examination by a doctor specializing in the particular type of injury. When it comes to specialists conducting examinations for common workplace injuries, only 3% of them are females. If a female worker is examined by a male doctor, he may likely underestimate the extent of her pain and impairment, compared to a male patient.

According to the article, another issue is that in some situations female workers are told that they will receive lower benefits for the same injuries that a male worker would have received. This is particularly true in cases of repetitive stress injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome. Female workers, particularly older women, are considered more vulnerable to these types of injuries. It is often assumed that there are various possible risk factors for females to develop repetitive stress injuries and joint-related injuries, so they should receive less in workers compensation benefits, because the extent of damage that can be traced to work is reduced.

Getting Rightful Workers Comp Benefits

If you think you are being discriminated against, and not getting the benefits you deserve, you should seek help from an experienced St. Louis work injury lawyer.

In Mr. Hoffmann’s 20 plus years of practicing workers compensation law, he has represented clients who have suffered all types of work-related injuries. Our St. Louis legal team can provide you with answers to frequently asked questions regarding Missouri workers’ compensation and will help you get ALL of the benefits you are entitled to receive.

Call us today at (314) 361-4300 or fill out our online contact form to request a FREE consultation.

Influencing Factors & Denied Claims

Updated: November 11, 2019