Stress Injuries and Workers’ Compensation
If you were injured on the job, you are probably owed workers’ comp benefits. This is true for physical stress injuries, and perhaps for emotional injuries too. Whatever injuries or illness you have suffered from the workplace, you can learn about your options and rights for free when you talk with a Raleigh worker’s compensation lawyer. Ask for your free consultation today!
Physical Stress Injuries and Workers’ Comp
These are generally the results of repetitive motions that are required of you at work. For example, someone who types a great deal at work could end up with carpal tunnel syndrome. Someone who repeatedly carries heavy boxes could end up with chronic back pain. If you have suffered a physical stress injury on the job, a personal injury lawsuit is not an option. But you may be covered by workers’ compensation, eligible for benefits that could include:
- Weekly compensation
- Permanent impairment
- Coverage of medical costs
- Vocational rehabilitation
The tricky thing can be to prove that your physical stress injury is the result of your work, and not a pre-existing condition. You probably need to seek medical care to help you with your injury, and also to get the documentation you need to establish the injury’s existence and its cause.
You could be asked to go through an Independent Medical Examination, however, meaning that you would be examined by a physician picked out by the insurer, making it not so very independent after all. It may be in your best interests to consult a workers’ comp attorney before you agree to this type of exam.
Emotional and Mental Stress Injuries from the Workplace
While a doctor can assess back injuries and muscles strains easily enough, emotional injuries can be much harder to diagnose, much less to prove to insurance. Naturally, this means more than suffering typical job stress. This means suffering emotional distress because “outrageous” behavior, such as sexual harassment.
According to the North Carolina Bar Association, there is a high standard for what actions count as “extreme and outrageous conduct”. This can make it difficult to pursue emotional injury claims. Do not hesitate to ask a personal injury lawyer about filing an Infliction of Emotional Distress (IED) claim, and what your other legal remedies could be.
When you are looking for legal answers and the skillful representation that could get you the compensation you deserve, be sure to schedule your free consultation with the Whitley Law Firm today! You can call a Raleigh personal injury lawyer from our firm, or fill out a free case review online.
