When Can You Seek Workers’ Compensation for Repetitive Stress in Ohio?
Repetitive stress is among the leading causes of job-related injuries. From lower back pain to carpal tunnel syndrome, many types of injuries can result from repetitive stress on the job—and these injuries often leave employees in pain, unable to work and facing expenses they can’t afford to pay. If you are suffering from repetitive stress, what are your legal rights? Our Columbus workers compensation attorneys explain:
Workers’ Compensation Covers Repetitive Stress Injuries in Ohio
Workers’ compensation covers repetitive stress injuries in Ohio. If you are suffering from a medical condition caused by repetitive stress at work, you can file a claim for benefits—as long as you meet Ohio’s eligibility criteria.
What are these eligibility criteria? In general, in order to file for workers compensation benefits, you must:
- Be an employee (as opposed to an independent contractor); and,
- Be able to prove that you suffered your injury on the job.
That’s it. While there are several steps involved in filing a workers’ compensation claim, these are the two main things you need to prove. It doesn’t matter what you do for work, and it doesn’t matter if your injury is directly related to your work-related tasks (although this will often be the case with repetitive stress injuries).
Collecting Workers’ Compensation for Repetitive Stress Can Be Challenging
Even though workers’ compensation covers repetitive stress injuries in Ohio, filing a successful claim can still prove challenging. For example, many workers will struggle to collect benefits due to questions such as:
Is the Injury Truly Work-Related?
With repetitive stress injuries, it can often be difficult to prove that an injury is the result of repetitive stress at work and not repetitive stress at home. If you do not have adequate documentation of the work-related cause of your repetitive stress injury, this could lead to a denial.
Have You Filed Your Claim on Time?
Workers’ compensation claims are subject to strict deadlines under Ohio law. For work-related injuries, the deadline to file a claim is generally one year “after the injury”. However, since repetitive stress injuries develop over time, it isn’t always easy to tell when the clock starts ticking. As a result, it is not unusual for workers to face denials on the basis that they waited too long to file.
While these issues can present challenges for employees with repetitive stress injuries, it is possible to overcome these challenges in many cases. Hiring an experienced Columbus workers compensation attorney will give you the best chance to collect benefits for your repetitive stress injury, and you should talk to an attorney as soon as possible.
Talk to a Columbus Workers’ Compensation Attorney for Free
Are you struggling to cope with the effects of a repetitive stress injury? If so, you should speak with a Columbus workers compensation attorney about your legal rights. For a free, no-obligation consultation at Malek & Malek Law Firm, call 888-444-7440 or tell us how you would like to be contacted online today.