Can You Receive Workers’ Compensation for a Repetitive Stress Injury?
Not every workplace injury happens because of a sudden accident. Some injuries develop gradually after weeks, months, or years of performing the same physical movements.
Employees who repeatedly lift heavy objects, type, operate machinery, or perform assembly-line tasks may develop painful conditions that interfere with their ability to work.
Fortunately, Missouri law recognizes certain repetitive motion injuries as occupational diseases that may qualify for workers’ compensation benefits. If you have developed a repetitive stress injury while working in St. Louis, the workers’ compensation attorneys at Labovitz Law Firm can help you obtain medical treatment and financial support.
What Is a Repetitive Stress Injury?
A repetitive stress injury occurs when repeated movements or sustained physical strain contribute to damage affecting muscles, tendons, nerves, or joints. Unlike injuries caused by a single workplace accident, repetitive stress conditions often develop gradually. Common examples include:
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Tendinitis
- Trigger finger
- Tennis elbow, also called lateral epicondylitis
- Certain repetitive-use shoulder injuries
- Other medically established conditions associated with repeated workplace movements
These injuries may affect:
- Warehouse employees
- Manufacturing workers
- Healthcare professionals
- Office employees
- Others performing physically repetitive tasks
Does Missouri Workers’ Compensation Cover Repetitive Stress Injuries?
Yes. Missouri Revised Statutes § 287.067 specifically recognizes injuries caused by repetitive motion as occupational diseases. However, the condition must satisfy Missouri’s requirements for compensability.
Under the statute, occupational exposure must be the prevailing factor causing both the resulting medical condition and disability. This means workplace exposure must be the primary cause compared with other contributing factors.
The Missouri Department of Labor identifies carpal tunnel syndrome, trigger finger, and epicondylitis as examples of potentially compensable repetitive motion conditions.
What if Your Injury Developed Over Several Months?
A repetitive stress injury does not need to result from one identifiable accident. For example, a warehouse employee who repeatedly lifts packages may gradually develop a painful shoulder condition.
Similarly, an assembly-line worker may experience worsening hand numbness from repetitive gripping movements. Medical evidence must connect the condition and resulting disability to the employee’s occupational exposure.
Which Workers Are Most at Risk?
Repetitive stress injuries can affect employees across many industries in St. Louis and throughout Missouri. Common occupations involving repetitive movements include:
- Warehouse and distribution employees.
- Manufacturing and assembly-line workers.
- Construction workers.
- Nurses and healthcare employees.
- Office and administrative employees.
- Food service workers.
- Custodial and maintenance employees.
The nature of the work matters more than the employee’s job title. An employee must establish that workplace exposure satisfies Missouri’s legal causation requirements.
What if You Had a Pre-Existing Injury?
A previous injury does not automatically prevent someone from receiving workers’ compensation. However, claims involving pre-existing conditions can be more complicated because insurers may question whether the current disability resulted from work or an earlier medical problem.
Can a Workplace Accident Make an Existing Condition Worse?
Yes. A workplace accident may aggravate a pre-existing injury, potentially creating a compensable claim. For example, an employee with a previously manageable back condition may experience significant new limitations after lifting heavy equipment at work.
Missouri law generally requires the workplace accident to be the prevailing factor causing the resulting medical condition and disability. Medical evidence must establish more than a temporary increase in symptoms unrelated to a compensable work injury.
How Do You Prove an Existing Injury Was Aggravated?
Medical records can help distinguish the employee’s condition before and after the workplace incident. Important evidence may include:
- Previous medical records.
- Updated diagnostic imaging.
- Physician evaluations.
- New physical restrictions.
- Changes in prescribed treatment.
- Documentation of missed work.
The employee’s medical history should be disclosed accurately. Our workers’ compensation attorneys can evaluate whether the evidence supports a claim involving an aggravated condition.
What Workers’ Compensation Benefits May Be Available?
When a repetitive stress injury qualifies under Missouri law, several types of benefits may be available.
Medical Treatment
Workers’ compensation generally covers reasonable and necessary medical treatment to cure and relieve the effects of a compensable injury. Treatment may include physician visits, diagnostic testing, medication, physical therapy, or surgery.
Missouri employers and their insurers generally have the right to select the authorized treating healthcare provider.
Temporary Disability Benefits
If an employee cannot work while recovering, temporary total disability benefits may provide partial wage replacement.
Under Missouri law, these benefits are generally calculated at two-thirds of the employee’s average weekly wage, subject to statutory limits and eligibility requirements.
Permanent Disability Benefits
Some repetitive stress injuries cause lasting physical limitations. Depending on the medical findings and circumstances, an employee may qualify for permanent partial or permanent total disability benefits. The amount depends on the nature and extent of the compensable disability.
Why Are Repetitive Stress Injury Claims Sometimes Denied?
Insurance companies may challenge repetitive stress claims because the condition developed gradually. Common disputes involve:
- Whether workplace activities were the primary cause.
- Whether symptoms resulted from aging or ordinary daily activities.
- Whether a pre-existing condition caused the disability.
- Whether medical records establish occupational causation.
- Whether the employee reported the condition on time.
A denial does not necessarily mean the employee has no further legal options. An attorney can review the medical evidence, identify disputed issues, and explain the available procedures for pursuing benefits.
Frequently Asked Questions About Repetitive Stress Injuries
Can Office Workers Receive Workers’ Compensation for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
Yes, potentially. An office employee may qualify if medical evidence establishes that workplace repetitive motion was the prevailing factor causing the condition and disability.
Can You Receive Benefits Without a Specific Accident Date?
Yes. Missouri recognizes qualifying repetitive motion conditions as occupational diseases, even when they develop gradually rather than during a single accident.
Does Workers’ Compensation Cover an Aggravated Pre-Existing Injury?
Potentially. If a workplace accident worsens an existing condition and satisfies Missouri’s causation requirements, benefits may be available.
Can You Continue Working While Filing a Claim?
Yes. Some employees can continue working with medical restrictions while receiving treatment. Eligibility for wage replacement depends on the circumstances.
Contact Labovitz Law Firm for Help With a Workplace Injury in St. Louis
A repetitive stress injury or aggravated pre-existing condition can make everyday work painful and threaten your financial stability. At Labovitz Law Firm, we understand that injured employees may face medical expenses, missed work, and difficult insurance disputes.
Our firm helps workers throughout St. Louis, Missouri, evaluate workers’ compensation claims and pursue available benefits. If a workplace accident has worsened a pre-existing injury, or repetitive job duties have caused a disabling condition, contact Labovitz Law Firm to discuss your legal options.
