Work injuries often occur without warning, but they’re not always dramatic events that lead to an immediate emergency room visit. A work injury can be a sudden, specific event, such as a construction site accident, fall from scaffolding or other event that causes an injury. But work injuries can also be cumulative injuries that occur over years of doing the same type of activity over and over again. These injuries often occur gradually and without dramatic warning.
Common Types of Work Injuries
When people think of work injuries, they often think of things like slip and falls, injuries caused by falling objects and other dramatic injuries. In reality, there are many common types of work injuries, and not always the dramatic kind:
- Back injuries;
- Feet and knee injuries;
- Neck injuries;
- Hypertension and cardiac injuries;
- Shoulder injuries;
- Neck injuries;
- Pulmonary injuries;
- Carpal tunnel syndrome;
- Pulmonary injuries;
- Cancer and other injuries caused by chemical exposure;
- Mesothelioma from asbestos exposure;
- Psychological injuries.
If you’ve suffered any of these workplace injuries, your employer may have a duty to compensate you for medical bills and other costs. Work injuries may also lead to long-term consequences that require compensation.
Work Injuries may Lead to Long-Term Consequences
When you’re dealing with a work injury, you’re not always looking at immediate medical bills. Many work injuries bring long-term consequences. Cumulative injuries, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, may become chronic and may cause lasting effects.
A workplace injury can also lead to a compensable consequence, which is a side effect of a work injury. For example, if a physician prescribes painkillers to treat back pain caused by a workplace injury, and then the painkillers cause kidney damage, that may qualify as a compensable consequence: something that happened as a result of the injury.
If you’ve suffered a workplace injury in El Cajon, La Mesa or elsewhere in the greater San Diego area, give us a call. We specialize in Workers’ Compensation cases, and can help you get the recovery you deserve.