Why Work-Related Back Injuries Are Common Among Salespeople

Salespeople are, unfortunately, prone to back injuries. If your job causes you harm, you should not carry the financial burden for your treatment yourself.

Salespeople seem to always have a smile on their faces, a warm voice, and a drive to get you to buy something. From the outside, they may seem like they have a rather cushy job which can be stressful, but at least it’s not physically demanding. Right?

The problem is, salespeople are actually prone to certain injuries, especially back injuries. What kind of compensation is available for them?

office worker back pain

Potential Back Injuries

Salesperson is a rather vague term that can describe just about anyone who needs to sell a product or service on behalf of a company. These jobs can often involve the person traveling from company to company to sell the product or even just work in an office and handle these tasks by phone or online.

But for both of these types of salespeople, there is a risk of developing back injuries because of several factors:

  • The sedentary work environment for salespeople operating from an office
  • Many hours spent driving
  • Manual handling of heavy cargo to offer samples to potential customers
  • Working long hours, often in a stressful environment that doesn’t allow the salesperson to take many breaks

Salespeople also depend on the number of sales they make for their income since they usually receive a commission for the profit they bring into the company. This can encourage a lot of workers to push their bodies beyond what they can handle. One study found that 100% of salespeople in the pharmaceutical industry have to work from their car at some point, and spend an average of 20.2 hours per week in the car.

All of these factors can lead to back injuries such as:

  • Lower back pain
  • Sprains
  • Tears
  • Soft tissue damage

Getting Compensated for Your Work Injury

Missouri workers are covered by the state’s worker’s compensation program, which stipulates that most employers must offer their employees special benefits for work-related injuries, which include covering medical treatment, and time of work.

However, for salespeople, there may be an issue: worker’s comp laws generally only apply to employees, and not independent contractors. If you work with a company as an independent contractor, then the company is not required to offer these benefits. You can, however, purchase your own policy to protect yourself.

If you are employed, you need to notify your employer of your injury, in writing, and wait for them to tell you what clinic you need to go to.

Should You Speak With a Workers Compensation Lawyer?

Salespeople are, unfortunately, prone to back injuries. If your job causes you harm, you should not carry the financial burden for your treatment yourself. Speak with a St. Louis worker’s compensation lawyer for further assistance to get compensated. Even if you’re an independent contractor, there may be a way to get compensated for your injury under certain conditions.

Speak With a Workers Comp Attorney

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Updated: May 3, 2023