Do Missouri workers with back pain get a raw deal when it comes to workers compensation?
Office workers are particularly prone to back problems. This doesn’t mean that they should just accept this. Back problems can render some workers unable to work at all. However, there seems to be a big problem when it comes to these workers seeking compensation. According to our St Louis work injury lawyer, the problem arises because back problems are hard to identify. Often there is no good evidence. Nothing shows up on an X-ray, so the injury is hard to prove, no matter how much pain the worker is in.
A modern day problem
Increasingly, our jobs involve sitting around for many hours of the day. So many of us simply don’t need to leave our desks. We have our phone and our computer. We don’t even need to walk to the next office if we need to correspond with a colleague. It’s far simpler to send them an email or an instant message from our desks. This is a modern problem. Sitting for a long time puts a big strain on your back, as well as your neck, legs and arms. Sitting can also cause your spine to go out of alignment which leads to back pain. While we can get up and walk around from time to time, there’s often no way to avoid sitting down for prolonged periods while we’re working.
The good news is that the adverse effects of sitting for long periods while working are starting to become more recognized in the medical world. There has been more research into the effects of sitting for long periods, and more people are making successful compensation claims for their back pain.
Filing a Missouri Workers Compensation Claim for Back Problems
Claiming workers comp for back pain is still one of the trickier claims, but it is not impossible. You need to find a good injury lawyer with experience in handling this type of claim. While your employer and their insurance company may well try to avoid a pay out, your lawyer will be able gather expert testimony and help you get the full amount of compensation you are legally entitled to.
Back problems among workers is likely going to be a big issue in the future. Studies have shown that sitting in an office can affect our body in many ways. It’s not just back pain. Sitting at a desk for a long period of time each day, day in and day out, can even affect our metabolism which can lead to obesity and diabetes. As office based jobs are on the increase, workers compensation claims for such injuries are likely going to increase.