Santa Clara County Repetitive Stress Injury Lawyers

Attorneys for Employees With Work-Related Repetitive Motion Injuries in Gilroy and Morgan Hill

California employers are required by law to have workers' compensation benefits for their employees who are injured at work. This applies not only to employees who suffer immediate injuries but also to employees who develop injuries and other conditions over time due to the repetition of a job-related task. However, workers' compensation claims for repetitive stress injuries do involve a unique set of challenges.

At Cramer & Martinez, LLP, our attorneys have more than 20 years of experience in California workers' compensation law, and we are well equipped to handle the challenges you may face in your pursuit of benefits. We will ensure that you do everything correctly when filing your claim, and represent you in disputes and negotiations with your employer's claims administrator in order to achieve the best possible outcome.

What is a Repetitive Stress Injury?

Repetitive stress injuries (RSIs) may also be referred to as repetitive motion injuries, repetitive strain injuries, repetitive trauma injuries, or repeated exposure injuries. All of these terms refer to the same basic concept: an injury that develops due to the same thing happening over and over for many weeks, months, or years. Because employees spend a large portion of their time at work, often performing similar tasks on a regular basis, work-related RSIs are fairly common.

RSIs can affect many different parts of the body, depending on the tasks you typically perform at work. Some of the most common include:

• Lower back strain: Chronic back pain, especially in the lumbar region, can develop for a variety of work-related reasons, including the lifting of heavy objects, bending over or twisting repeatedly, or holding a seated or stooped posture for long periods of time.
• Tendonitis: Repeated motion may cause tendonitis and other related conditions involving the inflammation of tendons, especially surrounding joints like the elbow or shoulder.
• Bursitis: Repetitive strain on the knees, elbows, hips, and other joints can lead to painful inflammation of the fluid sacs, known as bursae, that help to cushion the bones at their connecting points.
• Carpal tunnel syndrome: Repetitive motion of the hands and wrists, especially common among office workers at computers, can result in carpal tunnel syndrome, a condition in which a compressed nerve affects sensation and motor skills.
• Vision and hearing loss: Repeated exposure to environmental hazards like loud noises or bright lights can cause an employee's sight or hearing to deteriorate over time.

Seeking Compensation for Repetitive Stress Injuries

Filing a workers' compensation claim for an RSI requires that you follow the same basic process as for an immediate injury, but the nature of repetitive stress injuries often introduces complications. For example, California law requires employees to report a work-related injury to their employer within 30 days of suffering the injury to ensure eligibility for benefits. This timeline is usually clear after an immediate injury resulting from a single event, but it often becomes murky in cases involving RSIs. In order to give yourself the best possible chance of compensation, you should seek medical attention as soon as possible if you believe that you have a repetitive stress injury, and tell your employer as soon as you become aware of the condition.

It is also common for a claims administrator to deny a claim for a repetitive stress injury if they believe it is likely that the injury developed as a result of factors other than the employee's work. If this happens, you can petition for an appeal. Your attorney can help you file your petition and prepare your medical records and other important evidence to present in settlement conferences or judicial hearings as you seek an outcome in which you are awarded the medical care and disability benefits to which you may be entitled.

Contact a Hollister Repetitive Stress Injury Attorney

If you have a work-related repetitive stress injury, we can advise and represent you throughout the legal process of obtaining compensation. Contact us today at 408-848-1113 for a free consultation. We represent clients in Santa Clara County, San Benito County, Santa Cruz County, Monterey County, and the surrounding areas, including Gilroy, Morgan Hill, Hollister, Watsonville, Salinas, and Los Banos.