Repetitive strain injuries, or RSIs, are injuries that are the result of repetitive movement and overuse. They often occur after years of performing a repetitive physical task, as many people do each day at work. RSIs can affect workers in any industry, including those that you may not associate with physical strain, such as an office or clerical work. Fortunately, when people sustain work-related injuries, they are typically entitled to benefits through Maryland’s workers’ compensation program.
Examples of Repetitive Strain Injuries
Repetitive strain injuries encompass a wide range of overuse injuries. Some of the specific injuries that are typically considered RSIs include the following:
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Tendonitis
- Tenosynovitis
- Bursitis
- Trigger finger
- Ulnar tunnel entrapment
- Other nerve entrapment disorders
- Ganglion cysts
- Rotator cuff syndrome
These are just some examples of potential diagnoses that healthcare professionals often categorize as repetitive strain injuries, and it’s important to understand that long-term overuse of any part of the body could lead to problems. As a result, you may be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits for work-related physical problems even without a specific diagnosis. In many cases, physicians term these kinds of general RSIs “diffuse repetitive strain injuries.”
Repetitive Strain Injuries Can Cause Debilitating Symptoms
Repetitive strain injuries cause extremely serious problems for sufferers that affect them on a daily basis—and not just only at work. For example, individuals with back problems related to their work may be unable to do things a simple as tying their shoes or doing the dishes. Similarly, a person who developed carpal tunnel syndrome from years and years of typing may be unable to pick up a cup of coffee or even open a car door. Some common examples of symptoms experienced by patients with repetitive strain injuries include:
- Pain
- Tingling
- Weakness
- Discomfort
- Numbness
Retain Legal Counsel From the Start
If you believe that you have a work-related repetitive strain injury, it’s important that you speak to a lawyer as soon as you can. While Maryland employees are entitled to workers’ compensation benefits for work-related injuries, it’s critical to keep in mind that workers’ compensation insurers are for-profit companies and will do everything they can to minimize your benefits. While it’s easy to prove that a slip and fall accident that occurred at work is work-related, it’s less easy to prove that an injury that occurred over months or years is related to your job. For this reason, workers’ compensation insurers often try and deny or minimize the benefits they pay out to RSI claimants. Fortunately, the assistance of an attorney can help ensure that you get the benefits to which you are entitled as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Injured at Work? Call Alpert Schreyer Injury Accident Lawyers Today to Speak with a Maryland Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
At Alpert Schreyer Injury Accident Lawyers, we are dedicated to helping injured workers get the benefits to which the law entitles them. To schedule a free consultation with a workers’ compensation attorney in Maryland, call our office today at 301-381-2655 or contact us online.