Injured your shoulder at work?

Injuring areas such as the shoulders is not uncommon. The shoulder joint is used for all kinds of actions you may do from lifting, pushing, lifting, and carrying items to and from places. What this means is that your shoulder joint is one of the most movable and most used joints. There’s no surprise that shoulder injuries therefore are one of the most common work-related injuries that can happen to individuals.

Anatomy of the Shoulder

The shoulder joint is composed of three bones: the collarbone (the clavicle), the shoulder blade (the scapula), and the upper arm bone (the humerus). In addition, there are muscles and tendons that surround this joint, also known at the rotator cuff. The rotator cuff helps protect the joint and keep all the bones aligned. Lastly, there is the glenoid labrum which helps protect and cushion the joint further.

Common Work-Related Injuries

Injuring the rotator cuff can be quite common while being on-the-job. This causes tendinitis (inflamed muscles) and can also lead to pinched or trapped muscles which my further lead to tears in the rotator cuff. This is often linked to over-extending your arms such as when lifting objects over your head and using your shoulders frequently. The first symptom of this overuse is often small amounts of pain while in movement with the shoulder.

If you think your rotator cuff may be injured, an MRI is used to further diagnose the problem areas. An MRI allows for an in-depth picture of the soft tissues rather than the bones like an X-ray. If indeed injured, treatments including resting the body and problem areas, taking pain medication, and depending on severity, physical therapy may be needed. Lastly, if these remedies do not work, surgery may be needed which will require for a minimum of four months of recovery need.

The issue with an injury to the rotator cuff is that it can often cause permanent damage to the area and will means the shoulder may never have the same ability to carry or perform the same way as it did prior to the injury.

Other Forms of Injuries

There are other types of injuries that may happen while your own work.

Labral Tear Injury

The labrum protects the shoulder socket and increases its stability. If the labrum tears, the individual will feel an instantaneous deep pain. The tears may be anywhere from directly on the labrum or extend to the biceps tendon around it. Due to the tear, you may hear or feel a clicking in the shoulder. Treatment for this kind of injury include physical therapy and depending on severity, surgery may be needed.

Frozen Shoulder Injury

A frozen shoulder injury is caused after a previous shoulder injury. Upon recovering from an injury or surgery on the shoulder, it is important to not keep the shoulder stationary for an extended period of time. If kept immobile, this frozen shoulder injury will occur. Treatment for this may include a steroid injection, prescribed medications, or various physical therapy exercises to get your shoulder moving. In severe cases, a surgery may be needed to loosen up muscles and tendons surrounding the shoulder joint.

Individuals Affected

Individuals who repeatedly do the same arm movement, do heavy lifting, or often lift and throw items overhead will be at a higher risk for this kind of injury. Simply put, the more movements and physical demanding tasks you require at work, the higher the likelihood for your own risk.

If you have been injured on-the-job, you may be eligible for worker’s compensation and therefore it is to your benefit to hire a worker’s compensation attorney immediately. Due to the various kinds of injury, the importance of a shoulder, and the potential loss after injury, this makes the shoulder a valuable claim. In addition, other types of injuries such as in the arm is common when injuring the shoulder.

A worker’s compensation attorney will be able to evaluate your case and protentional types of benefits you may be eligible for. However, these benefits depend on being able to prove your shoulder injury is in fact work-related and how long-lasting the effects of the injury may affect you. The proper attorney will be able to guide you through all the steps and get you the proper compensations.

Filing a Workers’ Compensation Claim

Work-related injuries are quite common but dealing with all of the steps after can be hard and confusing. Getting the medical help required should be your main concern, however you should not wait too long before filing a worker’s compensation claim as the steps can be long and time sensitive. Waiting too long could cost you the compensation you deserved.

Step 1: Get Treated

Work-related injuries can be anywhere from mild to severe, however whatever your case may be, your health is important. The first step is to call 911 in severe situations, or to go see a healthcare professional at the earliest time possible for more mild cases. Regardless of who your healthcare provider is, tell them that your injuries are due to work-related events and ensure the doctor records every detail of your treatment plan and diagnosis.

Step 2: Identify Witnesses

Due to requesting workers’ compensation, it is important to recall who was around during the incident that can concur to your injury. Whether these individuals be coworkers, guests, clients, or delivery drivers, any of these individuals who saw the incident happen can help your case. Collect as much contact information as you can get even if you do not know these individuals.

Step 3: Take Photos

Building a workers’ compensation case is about finding all the proof you can to back up the fact that your injury was in fact work-related. Take any photos of the injuries and environment in which the accident took place, including anything that may have caused the incident to happen (such as a wet floor with no warning signs around).

Step 4: Tell Someone

After your injury, you must tell someone of the company of your work-related injury. In California, this would be to your employer. You will then fill out a workers’ compensation claim form provided to you by your employer. Once they submit your form, the claim process has started. Your employer is responsible for completing their sections of the forming and submitting it to the insurance company. You must then file a second workers’ compensation form with the state’s court.

Step 5: Find a Workers’ Compensation Attorney

Filing for a workers’ compensation claim can be difficult for most individuals as they do not know their rights. This is why getting a specialized attorney can greatly help you in the process. They can help you fill out your claim and ensure you meet any time requirements. It is also not uncommon to have the initial claim denied, however it is your right to appeal. With all of these steps, an attorney will be on your side to figure out what is best in your case.