Sumner Workers Compensation Attorneys

A work injury can change everything for a Sumner employee, from a sudden accident that causes a serious neck fracture to years of repetitive motion that gradually wears down the hands, wrists, or back. Iowa law entitles injured workers to compensation, but proving a claim, understanding treatment options, and knowing how to handle the process honestly can be overwhelming without guidance.

Repetitive Stress Injuries: A Guide for Sumner Employees

Repetitive stress injuries, also called repetitive motion injuries or cumulative trauma injuries, are a common and costly problem for workers across many industries. Office workers in Sumner who develop carpal tunnel syndrome and laborers who develop Raynaud's disease from operating vibrating equipment all day are just a few examples of the more than 100 types of job-induced conditions that result from ongoing wear and tear on the body.

Workers can develop repetitive stress injuries through performing repetitive motions, forceful movements, holding an awkward posture, or regularly lifting heavy loads. These conditions generally cause inflammation, pain, and reduced functional capacity over time.

Sumner Workers at High Risk for Repetitive Stress Injuries

According to OSHA, repetitive stress injuries are one of the fastest growing categories of workplace injury, and they can occur any time there is a mismatch between the physical demands of a job and the physical capacity of the human body.

Construction and manufacturing workers in Sumner face daily risk factors such as heavy lifting, reaching overhead, repeating the same task again and again, and using vibrating machinery. Other Sumner workers at risk for these conditions include:

• Those who work with computers, such as office workers, computer programmers, and web developers
• Warehouse workers
• Farm workers
• Manual laborers
• Fishermen
• Cashiers
• Painters
• Utility workers
• Bus drivers and other transportation workers
• Food service workers
• Miners
• Musicians
• Custodians and housekeepers

Common Types of Repetitive Stress Injuries

Repetitive stress injuries can range from mild to debilitating and can affect the hands, wrists, knees, back, and neck. Symptoms often begin with weakness, trembling, and pain, and as the condition progresses it can lead to numbness, loss of motor function, and severe pain that makes it nearly impossible to keep performing job duties. Some specific conditions that can develop from work-related tasks include bursitis, tendinitis, rotator cuff injuries, De Quervain's tenosynovitis, radial tunnel syndrome, torn ACLs and MCLs, epicondylitis (tennis elbow), trigger finger, impingement syndrome, tenosynovitis, and thoracic outlet syndrome.

Do You Qualify for Workers' Compensation for Your Repetitive Stress Injury?

Under Iowa law, if you are an employee who is injured on the job, or who develops an illness or condition related to your job, you are entitled to workers' compensation benefits. The difficult part of a repetitive stress injury claim is proving that the condition is directly related to your job. When a Sumner worker is hurt in a sudden traumatic accident, it is usually easy to prove the injury is work related because there is a clear event that caused it. Repetitive stress injuries are different because they develop gradually, which can make the cause harder to validate.

Proving Your Repetitive Stress Injury Claim

To prove that your condition was caused by your job duties, you will need to see a doctor and be very specific about your symptoms, when they started, and what your job duties involve. Keep in mind that your employer or its insurer will choose the doctor you initially see. If you are not satisfied with that doctor's diagnosis or impairment rating, you are entitled to seek a second opinion under Iowa Code Section 85.39, and you do not have to pay for that exam out of pocket, since your employer's workers' compensation insurer is responsible for the cost.

Insurers often push back on repetitive stress injury claims by arguing the condition was not work related or that it was pre-existing. Fortunately, Iowa statutes provide that even though a pre-existing condition does not by itself qualify a worker for compensation, if job duties aggravated, accelerated, or worsened that condition, the worker can still qualify for benefits. A workers' compensation lawyer can help Sumner workers gather the evidence needed to support this type of claim.

Impairment Ratings and Repetitive Stress Injuries

Some repetitive stress injuries cause permanent disability. After a doctor assesses the condition, they assign an impairment rating on a scale of zero to 100, which is used to calculate disability benefits. A zero rating means no impairment, while a 100 percent rating means total disability.

Iowa also provides an injury schedule that lists certain body parts along with the number of weeks a worker is due disability benefits for a total loss of function. That impairment rating acts as a multiplier used to calculate how many weeks of permanent partial disability benefits a Sumner worker will receive.

Neck Fusion Surgery After a Work Accident in Sumner

A neck fusion, also referred to as a spinal or cervical fusion, is a surgery performed for individuals who suffer a spinal or neck injury. These injuries can occur in a variety of ways and can cause life-threatening and lasting problems. If a Sumner worker suffers this type of injury on the job, understanding the medical process and the legal next steps is essential.

What Neck Fusion Surgery Involves

After a fall, a collision with heavy equipment, or another serious work accident, a Sumner worker could be dealing with a painful neck injury. It is important to seek immediate medical attention after any workplace injury, especially one involving the neck. A doctor may recommend fusion surgery to relieve pain and repair damage from the injury. Neck fusion surgery connects bones in the spine or neck that have been broken or weakened, and it can be performed in a couple of different ways:

• A bone graft, or a piece of bone taken from another part of the body or from a donor, is used to fuse adjacent vertebrae that have been broken so they can grow back together naturally.
• A foreign object such as a metal plate, screw, or plastic piece can be implanted to hold vertebrae together while they heal, or to strengthen weak vertebrae.

After surgery, a Sumner worker may stay in the hospital for a short time, wear a neck brace, attend follow-up visits with a doctor, and may need physical therapy to strengthen the muscles in the neck and shoulders.

Injuries That Could Require Neck Fusion Surgery

Treatment for a neck injury varies depending on the type of injury and its severity. If one or more vertebrae are broken, a neck fusion may be recommended. Fractures are most commonly seen in falls and other serious accidents, and some Sumner work environments, such as construction sites or delivery jobs, may put workers at greater risk for these types of injuries.

Accidents can also cause misalignment of the vertebrae, leading to pain and further complications, and fusion surgery may be required to realign and stabilize the affected vertebrae. Fusion surgery may also be performed alongside a discectomy, which involves removing a damaged or herniated disc, with fusion used to stabilize the vertebrae afterward. The procedure may also be performed for spondylolisthesis, a condition where a vertebra slips forward.

Sumner workers dealing with these injuries may be unable to work while recovering, or may have to accept lower paying work until they have healed enough to return to their previous job duties. In addition to covering medical costs, a workers' compensation attorney can help pursue disability benefits during this time.

Why Honesty Matters in Every Sumner Workers' Comp Case

When a Sumner employee suffers a work injury and files a workers' compensation claim, it is very important to be truthful throughout the entire process. Once a claim is filed, several different parties become involved, and each will want to know not only how the injury occurred but also the full truth about current and past medical history. Staying as truthful as possible throughout the process helps a claim move forward smoothly.

Being Honest With the Doctor

Tell the doctor handling your workers' compensation case the truth about your past medical history. If you hurt your back on your current job but also have a prior back injury in your history, it is important to disclose that. A pre-existing condition does not automatically mean a claim will be denied, but hiding medical history from the doctor can affect the claim and make it look like you are trying to mislead them.

Being Honest With the Insurance Company

The insurance company has a significant stake in a Sumner worker's claim and will monitor the process closely. They will be particularly interested in medical history as well as how the injury occurred. Telling the truth at all times is crucial, since many insurance representatives have ways to monitor claimants through physical observation as well as social media activity. Telling the complete story consistently means there is no need to worry about remembering different versions of events told to different people.

Being Honest With the Employer

An employer has a vested interest in a work injury case and will want to know all the details, including how the injury occurred, what the worker did immediately afterward, and how they are feeling. Hiding any details from the employer only causes harm to the case in the long run. It also helps to identify as many witnesses to the injury as possible to support the legitimacy of the claim.

There are many factors that go into a Sumner workers' compensation case, but one factor holds true across every case and with everyone involved: the need for honesty. The doctor, the insurance company, and the employer all need to know everything that occurred, including any previous injuries, to help determine whether the worker was truly hurt on the job and to what degree.

Getting Legal Assistance In Sumner

Navigating the complexities of Iowa workers' compensation laws can be daunting, especially during the recovery process from a workplace injury. Seeking guidance from a seasoned Sumner Workers' Comp attorney is invaluable in ensuring your rights are protected and maximizing your chances of a favorable outcome.

Legal professionals play a pivotal role in gathering evidence, preparing documentation, and advocating for your interests throughout the claims process. Don't risk missing out on the compensation you deserve – enlist the support of a qualified attorney to navigate the complexities with confidence.

The Iowa Workers' Compensation attorney team at Walker, Billingsley & Bair know the importance of protecting your work injury claim from the get-go. That's why we provide this FREE book; Iowa Workers' Compensation - An Insider's Guide to Work Injuries: 7 Deadly Mistakes To Avoid If You Are Hurt At Work. To learn more about what our legal team will do to help you protect your Iowa work injury claim, contact Walker, Billingsley & Bair to schedule a no-cost consultation - 641-792-3595.

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