Waldorf, MD Repetitive Stress Injuries Attorneys

Lawyers for Repetitive Motion Injuries in the Workplace in Waldorf, Maryland

While workplace injuries may be caused by accidents, they may also develop gradually over weeks, months, or years. As a person performs the same motions, maintains the same posture, and uses their hands, wrists, and arms while working, the stress placed on their body can cause damage. Repetitive stress injuries, which are also called repetitive motion injuries, can cause serious pain and other issues that may affect a person's ability to work, and they are covered by workers' compensation.

People who experience repetitive stress injuries may struggle to receive workers' compensation benefits, since insurers may argue that these conditions are caused by aging, personal habits, or non-work activities. Without legal help from an experienced attorney, a worker who has spent years performing physical work may be denied benefits. At Farmer & Klopfer, we provide representation for workers who are dealing with repetitive motion injuries, helping them show that their injuries are work-related and taking steps to obtain the benefits they deserve.

What Are Repetitive Stress Injuries?

Injuries and health conditions can develop when repeated stress is placed on the body's muscles, tendons, nerves, and joints. Unlike injuries that are caused by a single event, repetitive stress injuries can be caused by minor issues that might not cause harm right away but can build up and damage the body over time.

Workplace activities involving repetitive hand and wrist motions, keeping the body in an awkward posture, using vibrating tools, or regularly gripping or pinching objects can lead to repetitive stress injuries. People who work on assembly lines or other manufacturing jobs, office workers who use keyboards to type, construction workers who use power tools, and other types of workers may be at risk of repetitive stress injuries.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

One of the most common repetitive stress injuries involves the compression of the nerves in the carpal tunnel in the wrists. Carpal tunnel syndrome can cause nerves or tendons to become inflamed because of repetitive hand motions and awkward wrist postures. It can lead to numbness and tingling in the thumb and fingers, as well as pain in the wrist and forearm and weakness in the hand.

Carpal tunnel syndrome may affect people who repeatedly flex and extend their hands and wrists while working, grip objects, and perform the same motions with their hands and wrists repeatedly. Meat processing workers, office workers who use keyboards, or construction workers who use hand tools may experience this type of injury.

The treatment that may be needed for carpal tunnel syndrome can include wrist splinting, anti-inflammatory medications, steroid injections, or surgery. When receiving treatment, a worker may not be able to perform tasks with their hands for several weeks, or their ability to return to work may be permanently affected.

Other Repetitive Stress Injuries

A number of other conditions may affect people who perform physical labor or other repetitive tasks at work, including:

Cubital Tunnel Syndrome

The compression of the nerves in the elbows may occur when people rest their elbows on hard surfaces, regularly flex their elbows, or perform repetitive gripping activities. Symptoms may include numbness and tingling in the fingers and weakness in the hands. In some cases, surgery may be needed to repair the damage that has occurred.

Trigger Finger

This condition can occur when tendons in the fingers become thickened, causing a finger to lock in a bent position. It can be caused by activities that involve repetitive gripping when using hand tools or working in fields like agriculture and construction. Surgery may be needed to release the affected tendons.

Elbow Injuries

Conditions commonly known as tennis elbow or golfer's elbow can occur when tendons in the elbows are damaged by the use of screwdrivers, pliers, and other hand tools or regular flexing of the wrists and gripping objects with the hands. These conditions can cause elbow and forearm pain, weakness when gripping objects, and difficulty using the hands and forearms. Physical therapy or surgery may be needed to address these injuries.

Rotator Cuff Tendinitis and Tears

The tendons in the rotator cuff in the shoulder may be damaged by repetitive overhead work, sustained use of the shoulders, or vibrating equipment. Inflammation in the rotator cuff can lead to torn tendons that may affect a person's ability to reach overhead or use their arms.

Bursitis

Small, fluid-filled sacs provide cushioning in joints throughout the body. The sacs can become inflamed by repetitive motions or sustained pressure. These injuries may affect the shoulders, elbows, knees, or hips.

Establishing That a Repetitive Stress Injury Is Work-Related

In a workers' compensation claim involving a repetitive stress injury, a person may need to demonstrate their condition was caused by the work they had performed and respond to claims that injuries are the result of aging, recreational activities, or other factors. Medical documentation from a doctor, occupational medicine specialist, or orthopedic surgeon may provide a specific diagnosis and opinions about how a condition was caused by specific work activities that a person performed.

Our attorneys work with clients to ensure they receive evaluations from the right specialists and provide documentation supporting workers' compensation claims. We can also review a person's work history, including the tasks they have performed, the tools and equipment they have used, and other factors that can lead to repetitive stress injuries. We can provide the information needed to show that an injury was work-related. This can help ensure that a person will receive the proper benefits.

Contact Our Waldorf Repetitive Stress Injury Lawyers

Repetitive stress injuries can be serious, and people who experience these conditions while working deserve to receive workers' compensation benefits. The lawyers at Farmer & Klopfer have decades of experience fighting for workers and other injury victims, and we know how to help our clients protect their rights and secure the proper benefits.

If you are dealing with carpal tunnel syndrome, tendinitis, nerve compression, or another repetitive stress condition that is connected to your work, we can help you show that your injuries are work-related so that you can receive workers' compensation. Contact our Waldorf, MD repetitive motion injury attorneys today at 301-843-3890 to set up your free consultation.