Understanding Repetitive Stress Injuries: Your Guide to Wisconsin Workers’ Compensation Claims
A repetitive stress injury (RSI) is an injury that develops gradually due to overuse or repeated trauma. Unfortunately, repetitive stress injuries are a serious problem in American workplaces. The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) estimates 1.8 million workers develop RSIs every year.
Not only are these injuries debilitating, but many workers do not fully understand their legal rights. In Wisconsin, you can recover workers’ compensation benefits for a repetitive stress injury. In this article, our Milwaukee workers’ comp lawyers offer a guide to repetitive stress injuries in the workplace.
Wisconsin Workers’ Compensation and Repetitive Stress Injuries
What is Repetitive Stress Injury?
A repetitive stress injury or repetitive trauma injury is a slow-developing injury that happens due to overexertion. These injuries are frequently associated with repeated tasks, forceful exertions, and awkward movements. Workers who spend years lifting, climbing, and doing the same strenuous tasks, again and again, are at risk of developing repetitive stress injuries. Some notable examples of these injuries include:
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Tennis elbow
- Tendonitis
- Rotator cuff injuries
- Lower back injuries
- Upper back injuries
- Neck injuries
Wisconsin Law Classifies a Repetitive Injury as an Occupational Disease
One of the biggest myths about workers’ compensation claims in Wisconsin is you must sustain a specific injury in a specific accident to be eligible to recover financial compensation. This is false. You can recover workers’ compensation benefits for a repetitive stress injury. Under state law, a repetitive stress injury is an occupational disease.
According to the Wisconsin Worker’s Compensation Guide, our state defines an occupational disease as a persistent mental or physical condition, which develops due to exposure to certain stresses within the workplace. A repetitive stress injury, such as carpal tunnel or a herniated disc can absolutely meet this standard. The key is connecting the injury to the workplace.
The Challenge: Connecting Repetitive Stress Injuries to Employment
Sadly, workers who have developed severe repetitive trauma injuries sometimes face some major challenges in the workers’ comp claims process. Generally, the primary question that must be addressed in these cases is the same: How do you connect a repetitive stress injury to your employment?
Through a well-crafted workers’ comp claim backed by comprehensive supporting medical evidence, you can establish the necessary link between employment and your injuries. If your repetitive stress injury workers’ comp claim was denied, do not give up on your rights. Our Milwaukee workers’ comp lawyers will help you build an appeal.
Call Our Wisconsin Repetitive Stress Work Injury Lawyers Today
At Gillick, Wicht, Gillick & Graf, our Milwaukee workers’ comp attorneys have the skills, knowledge, and experience to handle the complete range of repetitive stress injury claims. If you or your loved one develop a gradual injury on the job, we can help. For a no-fee, no-obligation review of your work injury claim, please contact our Milwaukee law office now. We represent injured workers throughout Wisconsin.