What Classifies as a Work Injury? – St. Louis Workers Compensation Attorneys

A work-related injury is generally any harm, illness, or even condition that you sustained while you are working and fulfilling your terms of employment. 

Getting injured while on the job can interrupt you from fulfilling your responsibilities. It might just be for a day, the whole week. However, for some, the damage of the injury might be permanent, and going back to work will no longer be an option. Knowing and being aware of your rights and benefits as an employee is important. While you can read up on what your legal options are, talking to a reliable and experienced St. Louis work injury attorney is also something you should consider.

You might have some doubts and hesitations in identifying if your injury was ‘work-related’ or not. By definition, a work-related injury is any harm, illness, or even condition that you sustained while you are working and fulfilling your terms of employment. 

There are three basic categories for work-related injuries that you need to understand. Your St. Louis work injury attorney can also explain these further in detail and help you determine what type your injury falls under.

Physical Injuries

This is the most common and frequent type of injury sustained in the workplace. These can result in the course of your work like hurting your back while lifting a heavy box or getting injured while operating a machine or burning yourself while cooking a dish. Physical injuries can also result due to other people’s actions like being hit by an object that was accidentally dropped by a colleague, say in a construction site. General workplace injuries like twisting an ankle, tripping, and falling also fall under physical injuries. 

So far, based on collected data, the common physical injuries sustained while on the job are: 

• Injuries to the bones, muscles, and tendons
• Injuries to the ankles, feet, hands, and wrists
• Injuries to the face, neck, head, and shoulders

Occupational Illness

This kind of condition is something that you acquire because of the nature of your job. It is also likely that your condition has worsened due to your duties at work. A classic example of occupational illness will be employees in the healthcare industry. They might acquire and contract an infectious disease from being exposed to one of their patients. Employees of factories and construction sites are also susceptible to occupational ailments because of their constant exposure to fumes, dust, and hazardous components. This in turn can lead to issues like asthma, upper respiratory tract infections, silicosis, or asbestosis. These ailments don’t show up overnight but can progress over years of continuous exposure.

Repetitive Stress Injuries

The third type of work-related injury that is generally covered by workers’ compensation claims is repetitive stress injuries. These types of damages are sustained when you do the same tasks over and over again over a long period. So far, the most common repetitive stress injury is carpal tunnel syndrome for writers, clerks, and administrative assistants, and can happen in all kinds of industries. If your job entails you to lift and carry heavy objects the majority of your time on the job or move in a specific and restricted way, then there is a bigger chance of you developing a repetitive stress injury.

You might have more questions and clarifications about what is considered and not considered as a work-related injury. An experienced St. Louis work injury attorney can provide you all the assistance you need in understanding what qualifies as a work injury and guide you in taking your case to a legal, logical, and rightful conclusion.