Back Injuries On The Job
Back injuries are some of the most vexing of physical ailments. People who have otherwise been healthy all their lives are sometimes shocked by complete immobility after suffering a back injury. Depending on the type and severity of a back injury, the sufferer of a back injury may require bed rest, physical therapy, medications, pain management, surgery and/or accommodations to a restricted lifestyle.
A strained muscle, a torn ligament, a herniated disk or a spinal cord injury will each follow its own path. A best-case scenario is a full recovery. Even in this case, a patient may need to refrain from doing normal work activities for a number of weeks or months. A worst-case scenario is a permanent disability.
A back injury may be the result of sudden trauma or it may develop over time in connection with a job that requires frequent lifting or twisting. A back injury on the job may happen to a construction worker, a child care worker, a nurse, a mail carrier or an office worker, to name a few possibilities.
You may wonder whether your back injury is serious enough to report to your managers. If you have to wonder, that is a good sign that you should take action. Reporting your injury promptly can set the scene for a successful workers’ compensation claim. Getting a medical evaluation is also important. For confidence that you are taking the right steps to protect your right to compensation for a back injury, consult with an experienced workplace injury attorney. Bennerotte & Associates, P.A., can help you tap into all relevant and available sources of help, including:
- Workers’ compensation
- Private disability insurance
- Health insurance
- Third-party liability claim or lawsuit
- Social Security Disability, if you have been unable to work for a year or expect to be unable to work for a year or more because of your injury
One great challenge in many back injury cases is that insurers often try to claim that an injury was not caused by work activities. Claims adjusters will often try to deny back injury claims on this basis. Reporting your injury promptly and properly and getting legal counsel as needed are ways to improve your chances of success in a workers’ compensation claim. Getting proper medical evaluation and treatment will also strengthen a third-party compensation case, if you file a personal injury lawsuit.
Call Our Local Minneapolis Workers’ Comp Lawyers
Doctors’ testimony, your own work history and other key pieces of evidence can be very important in your pursuit of compensation after a back injury at work. Contact us for responsive and on-the-spot legal counsel. Call our Minnesota personal injury lawyers at 651-364-6807 to discuss your lifting injury at work and what you can do about it.
Se habla español.