How to file for compensation after developing work-related tendonitis
Tendonitis often develops slowly over time, but that doesn’t make it any less serious. For many Georgia workers, repetitive tasks—like lifting, typing, or using certain tools—can lead to painful inflammation that makes it difficult or even impossible to work.
Unfortunately, as with other occupational diseases, insurance companies often question whether tendonitis is truly work-related or try to downplay the impact it has on a worker’s ability to perform their job.
We help injured workers in the Atlanta area and throughout Georgia push back when insurers deny legitimate claims.
What is tendonitis?
Tendons are thick fibrous cords that attach muscles to bones. Thus, tendonitis is the irritation or inflammation of these cords. The condition causes swelling, tenderness and pain outside the joints and can occur in any tendons in a human body.
Causes and risk factors
Tendonitis is caused by repetitive tendon stress and can develop over time rather than resulting from a single traumatic incident. In most people, the condition occurs from jobs and hobbies that involve repetitive motions that stress the tendons.
When performing job-related activities, improper techniques may put you at risk of tendonitis and qualify you for a workers’ comp settlement. Employees who repeat particular movements and motions as part of their job risk developing tendon injuries and increase the severity as the movement and pain persists.
Tendonitis is especially common in certain occupations, such as:
- Office and clerical work
- Assembly line work
Tendonitis can be avoided if employers are aware of the risks that affect their workers and mitigate them. It can be achieved by using proper workplace ergonomics and employing safe lifting techniques.
Symptoms of tendonitis
The signs and symptoms of tendonitis tend to occur where a tendon attaches to a bone and include:
- Mild swelling
- A lump may be felt along the tendon
- Tenderness
- Heat or redness
- Pain or a dull ache, which worsens when moving the inflamed joint or limb
Types of tendonitis
As earlier mentioned, tendonitis may occur anywhere. However, it is common around your wrists, shoulders, elbows, heels and knees. There are various tendonitis problems named mostly according to the part they affect.
Here are some of the most common types of occupational tendonitis:
1. Tennis elbow
Tennis elbow is a pain that is felt on the outer side of the elbow and radiates down to the wrist, often caused by activities that require frequent turns of the wrist and involve gripping with your hands.
2. Achilles tendonitis
This is an injury occasioned by overuse of the Achilles tendon that is located between the heel and the calf muscle. Jobs that demand intense leg work and lots of stair climbing are common perpetrators of this condition.
3. DeQuervain’s tenosynovitis
This condition results in thickening and swelling of the tendon sheath that surrounds the tendons of the thumb. It makes it very difficult and painful to move your thumb.
4. Rotator cuff tendonitis
This is a condition caused by inflammation of the shoulder capsule and the surrounding tendons, causing pain when the arm is moved or pain when you lie on the affected shoulder. Jobs that require constant pushing, pulling and arm lifts can cause rotator cuff damage. The damage may result in losing power in the surrounding muscle and severe pain, which may in turn result in disability.
5. Jumper’s knee
This is also referred to as Patellar tendonitis and results in pain and swelling under the kneecap. It can be treated using anti-inflammatory medicines, rest and avoiding activities that aggravate the condition.
Georgia workers’ compensation for occupational tendonitis injuries
Although most people think of job-related injuries as those involving sudden mishaps like car accidents or slips and falls, many workplace injuries are not so immediate and clear. Certain injuries, like tendonitis, occur over a long period of time and may pose a significant challenge when pursuing a workers’ comp settlement for shoulder injuries, elbow injuries, or other injuries related to repetitive movements.
If you’ve experienced any disability due to work-related tendonitis, whether permanent or temporary, you can file a tendonitis workers’ comp claim. Please report it to your employer immediately, and consult with a doctor right away.
Georgia’s workers’ compensation pays for both scheduled and unscheduled losses and temporary total disability benefits if you cannot work for more than 1 week. Workers’ comp should also help to cover medical costs, including physical therapy, emergency room visits, surgeries and follow-up appointments.
As an injured employee who has been diagnosed with arthritis, it’s important to be aware of the potential effects of Humira, a medication commonly used to treat the condition.
Humira has been known to have certain side effects that can impact an individual’s ability to perform their job duties. Additionally, if you experience a workplace accident while taking Humira, it’s crucial to understand the impact this medication may have on your workers’ compensation claim.
Challenges victims must overcome to get compensation
Consider talking to an experienced compensation lawyer to determine whether workers’ comp will cover your claim and to have someone helping you to weather the complications that may arise.
- Failure to consult with a knowledgeable and unbiased doctor may deter your chances of getting full compensation. Avoid consulting with a doctor with a conflict of interest in your case. Your attorney can help you find the best doctor who will find the real root of your problem and get you the appropriate treatment.
- Tendon problems may be difficult to demonstrate because employers and insurance companies may doubt the severity of the pain.
- Failure to report your case immediately results in more damage and is a common reason that insurance companies and employers use to deny claims.
- When you attempt to return to work soon after the diagnosis and perform tasks beyond your doctor’s recommendations, they may worsen the pain. Even if your employer asks you to return and do jobs beyond the doctor’s restrictions, you don’t have to. Call your workers’ comp attorney to discuss your options.
When to consult a Georgia workers’ compensation attorney
To receive full and fair compensation benefits, you must prove that your job caused the tendonitis. And if your claim is denied or you are not granted full benefits, contact an experienced Georgia workers’ comp attorney immediately. Our team at Gerber & Elkins Law will help you prove that repetitive trauma at work caused the condition, help you through the legal process and negotiate with the insurance company.
