There are many industries that require daily lifting as part of a worker’s job responsibilities. These employees have an increased risk for suffering a one-time or cumulative use lifting injury at work.
Greg Coleman Law discusses some common types of lifting injuries, employment situations that have a greater risk for a lifting injury, and how you may be able to establish evidence for a workers’ compensation claim.
If you suffered a lifting injury at work, we encourage you to contact our reputable law firm today to discuss your eligibility for benefits in a free, no-obligation legal consultation. If we represent you, there is nothing to pay unless we recover benefits on your behalf.
High-Risk Industries For Lifting Injuries
No matter what type of job you have, there may be a small chance you could suffer a lifting injury. For example, maybe you only occasionally have to move boxes of office supplies, but one day the box is heavier than usual, and the unexpected weight causes you to strain your back.
However, in other industries, lifting heavy objects is a regular or everyday part of the job. These workers have an increased risk for suffering one or more common lifting injuries, including:
- Torn rotator cuff
- Sprain and strain injury
- Herniated, ruptured or bulging discs
- Nerve damage
- Spinal cord injury
- Other types of exertion injuries
- Knee injuries
- Joint injuries
- Neck injuries
- Ankle injuries
The most common industries with an increased risk of suffering a serious cumulative lifting injury include:
- Construction
- Trucking
- Warehouse workers
- Carrier or delivery services
- Medical professionals, such as nurses, who lift patients on the job
- Manual laborers
Do You Qualify For Workers’ Comp Due to a Lifting Injury?
Generally speaking, to be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits, your injury must have happened while you were performing your job duties. IIf the injury was due to a single incident, it may be easier to prove it happened at work. However, for repetitive lifting injuries that developed over time, it is challenging to establish that your injury happened within the scope of your job duties. An employer may often attempt to argue that this type of injury was caused elsewhere or that you were doing something that was not part of your job, leaving you without the benefits you need to recover from your injuries.
To prove a cumulative or single-incident lifting injury happened on the job, it is important that you immediately report an incident that caused your injury or the new onset of pain.
In Tennessee, after reporting the injury, you must choose your authorized treating physician (ATP) from a panel of three doctors provided by your employer. Once you select your ATP, you must get examined and follow any plan of care that the doctor prescribes. This includes attending follow-up appointments. If you do not, you may risk your eligibility for benefits.
Contact An Attorney For Help With Your Workers’ Comp Claim
We strongly recommend that you contact one of our Knoxville personal injury lawyers if you suffered a cumulative use injury that happened in the scope of your job duties. Establishing these injuries, how they happened and where they happened is challenging. Having an experienced lawyer on your side who has extensive understanding of workers’ compensation laws in Tennessee may be beneficial to your claim and help you to achieve the benefits, medical care and physical therapy you need.
It is not a good idea for you to delay your pursuit of a claim, as it leaves room for your employer and workers’ compensation carrier to argue whether your injury is really as bad as you describe it. Additionally, if your claim has already been denied, you do not have much time to file an appeal. In either situation, we encourage you to reach out for legal help today.
Call 24/7 for legal help: (865) 247-0080
