Working in a warehouse can offer competitive wages and benefits. Warehouse professionals often have decent job security, as there is constant demand for the storage and transportation of consumer goods. Warehouse workers can spend years working their way up a company’s hierarchy in the hopes of retiring from a managerial position eventually.
Those plans may fall apart after a worker’s doctor diagnoses them with a repetitive strain disorder. Also known as repetitive motion injuries, repetitive strain disorders develop due to performing the same job tasks repeatedly throughout the day and over the course of many years.
Warehouse professionals with repetitive strain disorders may notice a significant reduction in their strength and a decline in their range of motion. They may struggle to perform key job tasks and may require time away from work to heal. Workers’ compensation can help them, but they must prove that their condition is the result of their employment first.
What evidence do warehouse workers require?
Workers’ compensation offers no-fault protection for professionals with job-acquired medical conditions. A professional does not need to show that their employer was negligent or somehow to blame for their injuries. Instead, what they need is evidence that their diagnosis is a direct result of their job functions.
An in-depth medical evaluation to validate the presence of a repetitive motion injury may be necessary. Diagnostic reports, especially those that highlight the specific mechanical functions that trigger or worsen the worker’s symptoms, can be useful.
An evaluation of ergonomic conditions in the workplace is also helpful. Professionals also typically need to establish a thorough inventory of the job functions they performed and their prior employment to more effectively establish that their condition relates to employment obligations.
How workers’ compensation can help
There may not be any cure available for a repetitive strain disorder. However, workers’ compensation can cover the costs associated with treatment and symptom management. From physical therapy and surgery to medication, workers’ compensation can fully pay for necessary treatment and symptom management expenses.
If a warehouse worker must move to a different profession or a lower-paid role at the warehouse, workers’ compensation can provide them with partial disability benefits that supplement their new, lower wages. They may also be eligible for permanent partial disability benefits when their condition is unlikely to respond to treatment and may forever reduce their employment opportunities.
Connecting a diagnosis to job functions is an important element of a successful workers’ compensation claim. Injured warehouse workers concerned about contentious claims may want to consult with a legal professional accordingly, especially if they must undergo specialized testing or appeal an unfavorable determination.