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Wear and tear injuries are also referred to as “repetitive trauma” injuries. They are usually caused by long-term, repeated motions that place a strain on certain muscles or areas of your body. They can be long-lasting and cause pain, immobility, and a decreased quality of life.
For example, continually bending at the knees and lifting heavy boxes into delivery trucks (or patients into hospital beds) may lead to wear and tear injuries to the lower back, knees, and hips, including osteoarthritis and degenerative disc disease. Or, working in an assembly-line or other production environment can cause problems such as carpal tunnel syndrome. Over time, these parts of your body can wear down.
Types of wear and tear injuries include:
- Knee and joint injuries
- Tendonitis
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- De Quervain’s Tendonitis
- Shoulder and rotator cuff injuries
- Spine, neck, and back injuries
- Pinched nerves
- Hearing loss
- Bursitis
- Osteoarthritis
Are Wear and Tear Injuries Covered?
South Carolina workers’ compensation laws do cover wear and tear injuries. However, the law requires a slightly different kind of evidence in these cases.
Evidence can consist of documents, records, photos, testimony, and an opinion provided by a physician stated to a reasonable degree of medical certainty that there is a direct causal relationship between the conditions under which the work is performed and the resulting injury.
How to File a Workers’ Compensation Claim
In South Carolina, you have 90 days from the date of the injury, or from when you knew or should have known that your condition is related to your work, to give notice of the injury your employer. You have two years from the date of the injury, or from when you knew or should have known that your condition is related to your work, to file a claim with the Workers’ Compensation Commission, or you will be forever barred from doing so.
Get Expert Legal Help if You Have Suffered a Wear and Tear Injury
Have you suffered a work-related injury? Has a physician told you that you have a condition that may be associated with your employment? Has an insurance agent told you that your chronic condition isn’t compensable because it’s associated with aging or due to some pre-existing condition? If so, you likely need the services of a skilled workers’ compensation attorney. You deserve representation by a firm that has achieved success with wear and tear injuries.
The lawyers at Lee Injury Law provide efficient representation to injured workers. Our Columbia SC workers’ comp attorneys will analyze your situation, help you file the necessary documents, and tenaciously uphold your right to compensation. Call us today at (803) 500-0000 to receive a free consultation.
