Repetitive Stress Injuries – St. Louis Workmens Comp Law Firm

Repetitive stress injuries are a common reason for work comp claims.

When we think of work-related injuries, we often think of serious injuries such as slips and falls, machinery-related accidents, or injuries due to a hazardous work environment. Not much attention is paid to repetitive stress injuries, although they are one of the most common reasons for workers’ compensation benefits.

What is Repetitive Stress Injury?

Repetitive stress injuries are those that develop over a period of time. Such injuries are caused due to the overuse of certain joints or muscles causing stress on that particular joint or muscle. For example, a worker in a warehouse who lifts heavy loads can injure his or her back due to the repeated pressure and strain. Hernia, sciatica, carpel tunnel syndrome, and ulnar nerve entrapment are all examples of work-related repetitive stress injuries. These injuries are painful and affect a worker’s ability to perform job duties.

Work Comp Benefits for Repetitive Stress Injuries

According to the Martindale-Nolo Research’s 2015 workers’ compensation study:

• On average, workers who suffer from work-related repetitive stress injuries have received around $13,600 to $22,100 as part of their compensation claim.
• It takes about one year and four months for a filed compensation claim to clear.
• About 75 percent of workers who filed a claim for benefits were compensated, whereas 25 percent were not.
• 57 percent of workers received compensation of $10,000 or less, 29 percent received between $10,000 to $40,000, and 14 percent received compensation awards higher than $40,000.
• Where other types of compensation claims took about 15.7 months to clear, claims related to repetitive stress injuries took slightly longer – 16.1 months.
• About 48% of workers who had filed for repetitive stress injury claims were initially denied compensation.
• About 40% of injured workers who were denied compensation had to file for an appeal or request a hearing for resubmission of their compensation claim.

Work Related Injuries