Charlotte Repetitive Stress Injury Attorneys

When you think about situations that may entitle to someone workers’ compensation, your mind may jump to traumatic events like machinery accidents, car accidents, or falls. Though these types of accidents can confer serious injuries and trigger workers’ compensation coverage, employees working in North Carolina also have a right to benefits when they sustain a job-related repetitive stress injury, which may develop gradually as the result of repetitive motions required by an occupation.

If you realize a repetitive stress injury may be linked to your job, you should not wait to get legal advice. You have extremely limited time to report your injury, and our team at Stewart Law Offices can help ensure you do not miss a pivotal deadline. Our experienced Charlotte repetitive stress injury lawyers are committed to fighting for the money and medical treatment to which you may be entitled through North Carolina’s workers’ compensation system. From beginning to end, you will have the full attention of our compassionate legal professionals, who are available to answer your questions 24/7 and will provide regular updates as your claim progresses. We treat our clients like family and will do everything in our power to protect your interests and help relieve you of the burdens that come with these injuries.

Retaining one of our Charlotte worker’s compensation lawyers provides you with the knowledgeable advocacy and support you need to fight for the benefits you deserve.

What is a Repetitive Stress Injury?

Unlike accidents sustained in a single incident, repetitive stress injuries do not happen all at once. They are triggered by frequent, repetitive, and unavoidable motions that put undue strain on a particular area of your body. Over time, symptoms will appear as the affected muscles, tendons, nerves, or ligaments become increasingly damaged.

You may have a repetitive stress injury if you notice any of the following symptoms in your hands, wrists, back, neck, shoulders, elbows, knees, or ankles:

Examples of repetitive stress injuries include:

In practice, repetitive strain injuries can happen when a worker is required to perform the same task or motion repeatedly and consistently throughout their workday. While workers with physically demanding jobs may develop these conditions, desk workers who spend the majority of their days typing at computers can also suffer these injuries.

Repetitive stress injuries can worsen and become even more serious conditions if they are left untreated and the repetitive motions continue. Do not wait to discuss your options for filing a claim with our Charlotte repetitive stress injury attorneys if you believe your condition may be work-related.

Can I Get Workers’ Compensation for a Repetitive Stress Injury in North Carolina?

Workers’ compensation insurance covers on-the-job accident injuries, occupational illnesses, and repetitive stress injuries. In North Carolina, your employer is required to carry workers’ compensation insurance if they have at least three employees, so if you were a part-time or full-time employee when the repetitive strain injury developed, you are likely covered and have the right to file a claim.

To access benefits, you must report your repetitive strain injury to your employer within 30 days of discovering its potential connection to your job. To protect your ability to get benefits and access care faster, you should generally inform your employer as soon as you notice symptoms of a repetitive stress injury. Benefits may be denied if you do not report your injury within this timeframe.

Workers’ compensation benefits cover all necessary medical treatments, including doctor visits, physical therapy, x-rays, laboratory tests, and pharmaceutical drugs. Your employer or their insurer has the right to choose the doctors you see, and they will decide what types of care to authorize.

Many repetitive stress injuries require time away from work to heal properly. This means you will probably need to miss at least a few weeks of work. Fortunately, workers’ compensation also provides temporary or permanent disability benefits that cover a portion of missed wages.

Fault does not matter when seeking workers’ compensation benefits for repetitive stress injuries. However, you will need to be prepared to prove the condition resulted from your employment and not some other cause. We can help you prepare as strong a claim as possible and walk you through the types of benefits you can potentially receive through the workers’ compensation system.

How Stewart Law Offices Can Help

Because workers’ compensation insurance only work-related injuries, many employers and their insurers will attempt to claim a repetitive stress injury was not caused by your job. They may claim you sustained the injury due to non-work activities, such as extracurricular sports or everyday tasks that occur outside the scope of your employment.

Our team is well-versed in proving the connection between someone’s employment and a repetitive stress injury, and we are ready to put our experience to work for you. We are familiar with and understand how to combat the tactics insurers use to deny or limit what employees receive. If you suffered a repetitive stress injury, consider getting in touch with our firm if:

• Your claim is denied
• Your employer or insurer is suggesting your injury is not work-related
• You are offered an unacceptably low settlement
• You are having a hard time getting temporary or permanent disability benefits when you are unable to continue working
• Your employer’s insurer is unresponsive
• The doctor chosen by your employer or their insurer is not authorizing necessary care or is downplaying the severity of your condition