There are many different ways for professionals to get hurt on the job. Some people experience traumatic injuries because they fall or make accidental contact with machinery. Others might eventually develop repetitive strain injuries because they perform the same job functions every day for years.
Workers are also at risk of overexertion injuries. Unlike cumulative trauma, such as repetitive strain injuries, overexertion injuries tend to happen in an instant rather than slowly over many days. A nurse tries to lift a patient, or a factory worker turns at just the wrong angle, throwing out their back. Overexertion injuries can be painful and debilitating. Thankfully, employees may be eligible for workers’ compensation if they sustain overexertion injuries.
What benefits might employees require?
After an overexertion injury, an employee might have a variety of different medical support needs. In many cases, they require pain relief. Muscle relaxants might also be necessary. They may require mobility assistance in the form of crutches or medical devices intended to prevent them from overusing the injured body part.
In more extreme cases, people may actually require surgery to treat an overexertion injury that causes extensive tissue damage. They may also require physical therapy to recover their strength and range of motion after getting hurt. Workers’ compensation can pay for all necessary medical care to treat an overexertion injury and get a worker back on the job.
The employee might also be eligible for disability benefits if they cannot work because of their injury. Some people may require bed rest to recover, while others simply cannot perform job functions until they heal. Some workers might be eligible for light-duty job functions, which might correlate to a reduction in their wages.
Partial disability benefits could help in that scenario. In cases where overexertion injuries force professionals to change their positions, they might be able to secure permanent disability benefits. Injured employees may need help handling complicated paperwork, making sense of available benefits and responding to any challenges they face during the claims process.
Getting support during a workers’ compensation claim can help injured employees maximize their benefits. Overexertion injuries can lead to complicated claims in some cases, making professional assistance beneficial.