Oregon workers suffer from a high rate of back injuries. Back injuries are also known as “musculoskeletal disorders” and are musculoskeletal disorders are those that arise from overuse of muscles, tendons, and ligaments, as defined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The most common cause of such trauma is overexertion, which might manifest as the attempt to move more mass than is comfortable. Musculoskeletal disorders that occur on the job and cause time off typically affect the back. Back injuries account for about 38% of all musculoskeletal injuries sustained on the job, as per data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Common Job Duties Associated to an Increased Risk of Suffering from Back Injuries
Work related back injuries in Portland might be triggered by a single, stressful incident. Alternatively, your symptoms may gradually emerge as a result of prolonged exposure to a trigger, such as a certain activity or motion. Work related back injuries in Portland caused by regular industrial accidents include car accidents, high falls, injuries from lifting heavy weight, tripping accidents, injuries involving heavy machinery, truck accidents, slip and fall accidents. Further, some back injuries are also caused by someone else's negligent act either on part of your employer, co-worker or some other third-party.
Common Types Back Injuries at the Workplace in Portland
Work related back injuries in Portland can range from mild discomfort to severe disability. It seems to reason that some types of injuries are more common in certain professions and sectors due to the specific demands of the work involved.
Herniated Discs: Tearing a disc in your back is possible if you lift and twist with large objects in your hands. The pain and numbness travel down the legs because the ruptured disc material presses on the nerves nearby. Due to the necessity of removing the damaged disc material, herniated discs are typically treated surgically. After surgery, it's common for doctors to advise patients not to lift anything heavier than 50 to 75 pounds.
Backbone Fractures: A backbone fracture can occur if a person falls from a great height, such as a ladder. While a fusion treatment probably won't be necessary, your doctor may recommend it if they determine that your back is unstable. It's possible that you'll get a full-duty release or a restricted release, depending on how you feel and how quickly you heal.
Back Strains: To put it simply, spraining your back is easy to do. Overstretching the back muscles even slightly might cause issues with the surrounding connective tissue. Most doctors are optimistic that a stressed body can recover quickly. However, while the muscle and tissues heal, you must rest and refrain from any vigorous exercise.
In addition to these, other common causes of back pain and disability include falls from great heights; crushing injuries; hernias; lumbar strain; thoracic spasm; bulging discs; slip and fall accidents; fractures; torn ligaments; and twisted or broken spines.
Oregon Back Injury at Workplace Symptoms
If you've suffered from work related back injuries in Portland at your workplace, you should notify your supervisor or employer right away. Not only is informing your employer of your injury necessary in order to receive workers' compensation, but it is also a good idea.
But the truth is that many victims don't know they've been hurt until hours or even days later. Injuries sustained during the act of lifting something or those sustained as a result of repetitive motion are particularly susceptible to this. After a particularly taxing day on the job, it's a good idea to see a doctor if you suddenly get signs of pain in your back.
Some of the signs to look out for are constant or intermittent pain, shooting pain (starts in one place and shoots or moves to other parts of your back or extremities), weakness, numbness, loss of feeling or tingling, mild aches, difficulty with prolonged standing or sitting.
After Suffering a Back Injury at Workplace in Portland, What Can You Anticipate From the Workers' Compensation Process?
If you are hurt, the first priority is medical care. Then you need to immediately inform your boss. A claim for workers' compensation payments is the final step. Do not give up if you are rejected; thousands of people are each year. You can appeal to the Workers' Compensation Board if you disagree with the decision. This is the first step in appealing a benefits refusal that you feel was unfair.
Filing a Claim with the Workers' Compensation Board
Know that there are rigorous deadlines in place to speed the appeals process along quickly if you decide to take your case to the Division of Workers' Compensation. While these are meant to speed up the compensation process, in practise they often end up working against claimants by forcing them to sift through mountains of legal and medical paperwork in a short amount of time.
After Sustaining a Back Injury on the Job in Portland, How Can a Portland Workers' Compensation Attorney Help Me?
An injury sustained at work is distinct from those sustained in other contexts, such as automobile accidents or the result of substandard medical care. There is a unique body of law that governs workplace injuries, and it is closely interpreted to offer speedy and effective remedies to injured workers while shielding businesses from excessive jury verdicts. The system is intended to be cooperative, but it has become combative over time. Big insurance companies will battle tooth and nail to avoid paying workers for injuries that were clearly caused by an accident on the job. If you feel that your employer's selected physician is not being honest about your injuries, our experienced Oregon workers compensation attorneys at Aldrich Legal can help you get a second opinion, negotiate with the insurance company, represent you in hearings and evidentiary proceedings, and more.
Contact Our Experienced Portland Workers’ Compensation Attorneys at Aldrich Legal Today
It's general knowledge that work related back injury in Portland is one of the most common ailments, which is why insurance companies frequently contest and oppose back injury claims for workers' compensation. Even if you have a history of back injuries or lumbar spine disease, our experienced Oregon workers compensation attorneys at Aldrich Legal can help you obtain the workers' compensation benefits and settlement to which you are entitled. There is a high recurrence risk for low back pain, therefore getting these benefits is crucial. You have a larger chance of developing persistent, intermittent back discomfort that will require many absences from work throughout the course of your career. Moreover, pursuing your back injury claim now is the only way to secure future medical care and financial security.