An injury to an employee’s back or neck can happen suddenly, or over time. For example, many back injuries suddenly occur such as lifting heavy boxes of paper, beverages, or construction material. This immediate pain is also accompanied by a limited range of motion and missed time from work. In these situations, the injured employee may have suffered a herniated disk that may require surgery or aggressive therapy.
Alternatively, workers may have gradual injuries analogous to the proverbial “straw that broke the camel back” These injuries may take time to manifests itself or become “symptomatic”. The question will be whether the employee’s job duties caused or contributed to the employee requiring medical treatment or missing time from work. This analysis will be fact sensitive and may be a question for the treating doctor.
Regardless of whether the on-the-job back or neck injury was “traumatic” or “gradual”, the injured worker is entitled to medical treatment, and in some instances, income benefits.
If you have injured your back at work and would like a free consultation as to your workers’ compensation rights, please contact the Ramos Law Firm.
