Whether because you have been loading supplies into a work vehicle, moving heavy office equipment, or transporting a patient, you likely have experienced some type of back pain as a result of the work you perform. While some of these injuries quickly heal, others can leave you facing much longer-lasting conditions that interfere with your daily activities.
If you are faced with debilitating back pain, it is important to understand that many other workers face similar challenges. Studies reveal that many workers experience back injuries each year that result in missed work. Navigating workers’ compensation claims related to these injuries, however, can be challenging.
Who is Susceptible to Back Injuries?
There are certain on-the-job tasks that place workers at an elevated risk of back injuries. These activities include lifting heavy objects, standing for an extended period of time, and various other physical activities that are known to result in back injuries.
Some of the most common occupations at risk of receiving back injuries include construction workers, landscapers, medical professionals, retail clerks, and warehouse employees.
In reality, though, any job in Ohio can leave a worker facing a back injury that interferes with the person’s daily living activities. Consequently, it is a good idea to use various safety precautions to minimize the risk of receiving a back injury.
Establishing an Injury Occurred While on the Job
One of the most difficult parts of pursuing a workers’ compensation claim for a back injury is establishing that the impairment was the result of work. Some employers and medical professionals argue that back pain is merely a normal side effect associated with growing older rather than the result of working.
If you are faced with this situation, you will likely have a difficult time pursuing a successful workers’ compensation claim. Other times, an employer or medical professional might argue that back pain does not qualify a person for workers’ compensation because the condition existed before a workplace accident.
Tips to Strengthen Your Workers’ Compensation Claims
There are two powerful pieces of advice that you should remember if you are interested in pursuing workers’ compensation for a back injury. This advice includes:
- Make Plenty of Notes. One of the best ways to establish that back pain is work-related is to document everything about your condition. This can help not just establish when a condition occurred, but also its severity.
- Obtain a medical evaluation. Besides documenting everything about your condition, it is also critical to obtain an evaluation by a reputable medical professional. Even if you do this, however, it is critical to understand that it is often difficult to pinpoint the exact cause of back pain. The difficulty in tracing back pain to a particular event is yet another reason why employers and insurance carriers often dispute these claims.
- Promptly inform your employer. If you believe that your back pain is work-related, you should not hesitate to inform your employer and initiate a claim. Not only do you have a limited window of time in which to file a claim, but immediately notifying the employer also often makes it easier to argue that the pain was caused by a workplace accident.
Contact a Knowledgeable Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
Most times, obtaining the benefits of workers’ compensation is critical in avoiding financial hardships that often result from substantial medical bills associated with treatments used to address back pain.
If you need the assistance of a seasoned workers’ compensation attorney, contact Dworken & Bernstein today so that we begin helping you obtain the results you deserve.
