Rockingham Repetitive Stress Injury Lawyer

Rockingham Repetitive Stress Injury Attorney

Repetitive stress injuries (RSIs) can cause workers immense pain and suffering if they aren’t addressed appropriately and in a timely manner. If you’ve been performing work at your job that requires repetitive motions, you may be experiencing pain or other concerning symptoms. If so, you may want to consult a Rockingham repetitive stress injury lawyer.

Trust Ayers, Ayers & Dressler

The team at Ayers, Ayers & Dressler focuses exclusively on personal injury, workers’ compensation, and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) law. We understand repetitive motion injuries, how they occur, and how to prove that they are work-related so you can gain access to the resources you need to heal. You can reach out to us for help with your repetitive stress injury claim.

Why Hire a Repetitive Stress Injury Lawyer?

Globally, 15% to 25% of people who use computers may have experienced an RSI at some point. In the United States, 9% of adults reported suffering from an RSI within the past three months. Of those people, 44.2% limited their activities for at least a day, including work activities. 51.4% of them consulted a medical professional about their injuries. However, the other people who limited their activities did not see a doctor.

RSIs are almost certainly underreported. If you’re struggling with an RSI, don’t ignore it. Instead, hire a repetitive stress injury lawyer who can help you get a workers’ compensation or SSDI claim filed. That way, you can access the money you need to successfully recover. Your lawyer can navigate the complex workers’ comp and SSDI systems, keep on top of deadlines, and even provide you with representation at hearings.

How to Tell If You’re Developing an RSI

RSIs often have no symptoms when they first begin, or they only flare up while you’re performing the specific motion that has instigated the injury. Don’t ignore the early warning signs that you’re developing a repetitive motion injury; eventually, the discomfort turns to pain, and the pain becomes more severe until you cannot work. You may even suffer a permanent disability.

Pain isn’t the only symptom of RSIs. Additional symptoms can include:

• Tenderness
• Tingling
• Reduced range of motion
• Loss of function in the affected area

RSIs can also impact many areas of the body, depending on what you do for work. Some common repetitive stress injury examples include:

• Tendonitis
• Bursitis
• Epicondylitis
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Back pain

These overuse injuries can entitle you to workers’ compensation benefits if you incurred or exacerbated the condition at your current job. You should seek medical attention as soon as any symptoms start appearing. This can both make your claim more persuasive to your insurer and prevent your condition from worsening.

How to Get Benefits for an RSI in Rockingham

You have two routes for getting benefits for an RSI in Rockingham. You can:

• Apply for workers’ compensation: To apply for workers’ compensation, you’ll need to report the injury to your employer and see an approved doctor. Your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance policy should provide you with money for medical treatments and lost wages while you’re healing from your condition.
• SSDI: In some cases, RSIs lead to long-term disabilities that prevent people from working or even performing the activities of daily living. If that happens, you may need to apply for SSDI. The application process can be complicated, but it can be easier with the assistance of a Rockingham repetitive stress injury attorney.

It’s important to seek medical care at a local facility, like UNC Health Rockingham, as soon as you begin to notice the symptoms of an RSI developing.

It’s equally important that you file your claim within the statute of limitations; in North Carolina, this is two years from the date of the accident. For RSIs, the general rule is that you have two years from when you either discovered or should have discovered that you have a disability related to your job. There is no statute of limitations for filing an SSDI claim.

FAQs About Rockingham, NC Repetitive Stress Injury Laws

How Long Do RSIs Take to Heal?

RSIs can take anywhere from several weeks to several months, or even years, to heal. Mild injuries typically resolve on their own in a matter of weeks. Severe injuries require physical therapy and, sometimes, surgery. They can continue for years, especially if you don’t follow the treatment plan suggested by your doctor.

What Qualifies as Repetitive Motion?

What qualifies as repetitive motion is movements that can cause injury over time when you repeat them without giving your musculoskeletal system enough time to rest. Bending, twisting, and grasping movements often cause repetitive motion injuries. The term can also be defined by how frequently you perform the motion, how long the task lasts, and whether it involves high force or poor posture.

How Do I Prove That an RSI Is Work-Related in Rockingham?

To prove that an RSI is work-related in Rockingham, you’ll need to gather some evidence. A doctor’s note that connects your job to the injury can be a powerful way of showing how your RSI is work-related. You can also document specific repetitive tasks that are causing you pain in a work log. Also, collect witness statements from coworkers who are aware of your work tasks and habits.

Can You Get an RSI From Using Your Phone?

You can get an RSI from using your phone. Some people refer to these common conditions as texting thumb or text claw. However, you can also get RSIs from repeated swiping or gaming. Prolonged use of your phone can even lead to severe issues, like carpal tunnel syndrome and tendinitis.

Contact Our Rockingham Repetitive Stress Injury Lawyer Today

If you’ve sustained an RSI due to your work, you should seek the counsel of a Rockingham repetitive stress injury lawyer. You can trust the team here at Ayers, Ayers & Dressler to treat your case with the seriousness it deserves. We’ve handled many repetitive stress injury cases. Our attorneys can help you decide whether to file for workers’ compensation or SSDI. Then we can submit your claim on time to get the benefits you deserve. Contact us to schedule a consultation.