St. Louis Repetitive Stress Injury Lawyer
For more than 20 years, the Law Office of James M. Hoffmann has been protecting the rights of injured workers in St. Louis that are suffering from repetitive motion injuries.
Repetitive motion injuries are a very common type of work-related injury and may also be called a repetitive stress injury. They are caused by placing too much stress on a joint due to overuse or repetitive motion. If the continued overuse pulls on tendons and muscles that surround the joint, the area can become inflamed and irritated. This often results in pain and discomfort.
Repetitive stress injuries are not caused by a one-time work accident. Rather, these injuries take months or even years to develop.
If you are suffering from a repetitive motion injury due to your employment, you are entitled to receive workers compensation benefits.
Types of Repetitive Stress Injuries
Almost any joint in the body can be affected by overuse or repetitive stress. Some of the most common injuries associated with repetitive stress include:
- Tendinitis – inflammation of a tendon. The shoulder, biceps and elbow are the most common sites of tendinitis.
- Bursitis – a bursa forms over an area where friction may develop. This cushions the area between the tendon and bone. Bursitis is the inflammation of a bursa sac.
- Carpal tunnel syndrome – this is swelling in the wrist.
- Cubital tunnel syndrome – this is swelling of the nerve behind the elbow.
- Cervical radiculopathy – compression or cervical strain of the disks in the neck.
You have 30 days to report an acute injury. No employer rule can shorten this time. You have 30 days to report a repetitive use type injury once you learn that your job, over time, has caused an injury.
What Causes a Repetitive Motion Injury?
Since repetitive stress injuries take months or years to develop, it can be difficult to determine the exact cause. However, repetitive actions such as crouching, bending, typing, lifting, operating machines or tools are common causes.
When a particular task is performed over and over again, month after month, year after year, repetitive motion injuries occur. If this has happened with you because of the nature of your employment, it is important to contact a St. Louis Workers Compensation lawyer.
Clients have informed us about situations where supervisors have refused to fill out an incident report because the employee didn’t know the exact date/time their pain started, despite their explaining that the repetitive nature of their job causes them pain every day.
Symptoms of Repetitive Stress Injuries
These types of injuries can cause severe pain and discomfort, making it difficult for a person to perform their job duties. Employers will often try and discredit the severity of a repetitive stress injury.
Each type of injury will have specific symptoms. Some of the most common symptoms of a repetitive stress injury include:
- pain, tingling, numbness in the hands
- numbness and tingling in the ring and small fingers
- weakness of the hand
- pain in the elbow
- neck, shoulder, or back pain
- pain in the tendons in the shoulder, arm or knee
- numbing, tingling, and coldness in the arms
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, it is important that you seek medical attention. Missouri Work Comp law mandates the employer to file a report of injury with the Division of Workers Compensation in Jefferson City for every employee who is injured. For injuries or pain caused by repetitive work conditions, no one knows the exact date. Missouri only requires that you provide the month and year.
Contact a St. Louis Work Comp Lawyer
Our legal team has a strong history of helping injured workers get the medical attention and financial compensation that they need. Contact the Law Office of James M. Hoffmann to ensure that your rights are protected. Please call (314) 361-4300 or toll free at (314) 361-4300. You can also complete our Online Case Evaluation Form.
All communications are returned promptly.