My Aching Back!
If you have injured your back at work, you are not alone. Nearly 30 percent of all injuries requiring time away from work involve the lower back. Back injuries range from being very mild to very serious, often resulting in severe ongoing pain and permanent disability.
In North Carolina, workers’ compensation benefits are provided for any disabling physical injury to the back resulting from a traumatic workplace incident. However, sometimes getting proper compensation for your back injury can be a challenge.
Insurance companies or employers may argue that your back injury is related to a pre-existing condition, not a workplace accident. You may also find it difficult to receive compensation for ongoing problems stemming from your workplace back injury. An employee diagnosed with a minor strain or sprain at the time of the claim may suffer a lifetime of back pain requiring ongoing medical treatment. To ensure that future medical expenses are properly covered, it is imperative that the full extent of your condition be properly determined at the time your initial claim is settled.
Risks
Certain jobs put employees at a higher risk of a work-related back injury. Job-related activities, conditions, or accidents causing most back injuries include:
- Repetitive heavy lifting
- Extreme cold conditions
- Overexertion
- Slips and falls
- Motor vehicle accidents
Injuries
Workplace back injuries fall into one of the following categories:
- Strains
- Disc herniation
- Spinal stenosis
- High energy trauma (usually caused by motor vehicle crashes, falls, and workplace violence)
They may manifest one or more of the following symptoms:
- Stabbing or shooting pain
- Dull ache
- Tenderness to the touch
- Stiffness
- Numbness or tingling in the extremities
- Pain radiating to other parts of the body
Compensation
If you suffer from a workplace back injury, you are entitled to receive all medical and rehabilitative services reasonably required to cure or lessen your period of disability. In addition to medical expenses, you should receive disability compensation for periods of lost work.
At the end of your treatment for your back or any other injury to a body part, your doctor will give you a disability rating. The compensation for a total loss is 66 2/3 percent of your average weekly wages during a 300-week period. Your compensation for the rating to your back is a proportion of the compensation provided for a total loss.
You have a voice.
If you have suffered from a work-related injury or illness or you have lost a family member because of either one, you have a place to turn. At Ward Black Law, we work hard to get our clients the compensation they need to meet their medical needs and provide for their families. We exist to give a voice to ordinary people facing extraordinary struggles. Contact us today for a free consultation.
