Repetitive Stress Injuries occur when individuals work in awkward positions or engage in repetitive tasks over an extended period, often leading to lasting impacts on health and soft tissues. Activities related to work, such as lifting heavy objects, assembly line tasks, or extensive keyboard use, can harm muscles and ligaments, compress tissues, and result in pain or injury. If your injury or medical condition is linked to work-related activities, you may seek damages through workers’ compensation for repetitive stress injuries.
After a repetitive stress injury in Naperville, contact Chute, O’Malley, Knobloch, and Turcy, LLC at (312) 775-0042 for assistance in securing compensation.
What Are Repetitive Stress Injuries in Illinois Workplaces?
Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSIs) develop from repetitive movements over time, causing damage to muscles, nerves, tendons, ligaments, and joints. Symptoms include pain, tingling, numbness, muscle weakness, and decreased mobility, which can worsen and hinder daily activities. Repetitive stress injuries at work are prevalent. According to CDC statistics, in 2021, 9.0% of adults aged 18 and older reported experiencing an RSI in the last three months. Typical activities that can lead to these injuries include typing, using tools, lifting heavy objects, and driving.
Common workplace injuries include:
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Compression of the median nerve in the wrist leads to tingling, numbness, and weakness, often resulting from repetitive motions like typing or assembly work.
- Tendinitis: Tendon inflammation due to overuse or strain, commonly affecting joints like elbows and shoulders in physically demanding jobs.
- Bursitis: Inflammation of fluid-filled sacs that cushion joints, often from prolonged pressure or repetitive movements, common in workers who kneel or reach overhead often.
- Epicondylitis: Includes tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow, both caused by repetitive gripping and twisting, commonly affecting carpenters, painters, and assembly workers.
- Trigger Finger: A condition where a finger gets stuck in a bent position due to repetitive gripping motions, common in manufacturing and assembly tasks.
- Chronic Back and Neck Pain: Results from repetitive strain, heavy lifting, or poor ergonomics. This impacts a variety of workers, from office staff to construction crews.
How to Prove Your RSI Is Work-Related for Workers’ Compensation
To prove that a repetitive strain injury is work-related for Illinois workers’ compensation, you must show a clear link between your job and the injury. Gather medical reports from a healthcare professional confirming that your condition is related to repetitive tasks. Document your work activities and frequency, and consider getting testimonies from coworkers. Working with an Illinois workers’ compensation attorney can strengthen your claim, as many RSI claims are often initially rejected.
Seek Medical Attention and Gather Evidence
Consult a physician quickly to establish a medical record. Get a complete diagnosis and track all treatments and expenses. Request a detailed report linking your RSI to job-related activities.
Record Your Work Duties
Outline your job responsibilities and keep track of the tasks you perform regularly, noting the frequency and motions involved. You may also ask coworkers for insights on the repetitive nature of your work or similar experiences they’ve had.
Identify Workplace Factors
Request an ergonomic evaluation from your employer. This can help pinpoint risk factors that contribute to your RSI. Document your work environment by taking notes or photos of your workstation to highlight conditions that might have led to or exacerbated your injury.
Ensure You Are Complying with Illinois Workers’ Compensation Law
Report your injury without delay. After receiving treatment, inform your employer of your injury in writing, adhering to the timelines outlined by Illinois law. Ensure that the injury is clearly linked to and occurs within the scope of your employment, with your regular work responsibilities contributing to the RSI.
Consult With an Attorney
Consult an Illinois workers’ compensation attorney to ensure your job description is accurate, gather evidence for your claim, link your injury to work duties, navigate the claims process, and help you get a settlement for carpal tunnel or other RSI you may be suffering.
Timeline for Reporting Repetitive Stress Injuries in Illinois
In Illinois, there are two important deadlines to adhere to regarding repetitive stress injuries. First, you need to notify your employer about the injury within 45 days of realizing it’s related to your job. This timeline begins not from a particular incident, but from your awareness of the injury. Second, you have three years to submit a workers’ compensation claim, either from the date of the incident or, in the case of repetitive stress injuries, from when you were diagnosed. It’s essential to report your injury and get medical help as soon as possible to safeguard your rights and ensure proper documentation of your claim.
After your repetitive stress injury, contact us at Chute, O’Malley, Knobloch, and Turcy, LLC. We’re here to help you understand the benefits available to you. We will thoroughly examine your situation, collect necessary evidence, and assist you with submitting your claim while ensuring you stay within the required timelines.
Frequently Asked Questions About Repetitive Stress Injuries
What Benefits Can I Receive for a Work-Related RSI?
If your work-related RSI claim is approved, you may receive benefits like medical expense coverage, temporary disability payments, and permanent disability benefits for long-term impacts on your work ability. You might also qualify for vocational retraining if you can no longer perform your previous job.
Why Might an RSI Workers’ Compensation Claim Be Denied?
Insurance companies may deny or reduce RSI claims for various reasons, such as the employer asserting the injury isn’t related to work, the insurer citing non-work factors as the main cause, missing the 45-day notification deadline, or unclear medical records that fail to connect your condition to your job.
How Can an Attorney Help With an RSI Claim?
A workers’ compensation lawyer can assist with an RSI claim, particularly if it’s denied, by gathering essential medical evidence, documenting how your job contributed to the injury, and representing you in the appeals process.
