Claiming Chronic Injuries for Workers’ Compensation
Proving an Ongoing Condition
Chronic conditions can develop from repetitive work and injuries, which limit a worker’s ability to function. Proving an ongoing condition that deserves benefits paid by workers’ compensation can be difficult. Employers and insurance companies are often hesitant to pay such claims due to potential fraud and because they frankly don’t want to spend that money.
Finding the Help You Need
What happens if you suffer from debilitating chronic pain caused by your job, and you want to prove it to collect your benefits? This is where the help of a workers’ compensation lawyer comes in. A workers’ comp lawyer can gather the evidence to prove your claim, enabling you to get the compensation you are entitled to.
What Are Some Injuries That Can Become Chronic?
There are many work-related conditions that can become chronic. Many cases of chronic pain can arise due to an original injury at work such as a slip and fall that results in damage to the worker’s back. Common causes include the ones below:
- Injury accidents at work
- Injuries caused by overuse
- Repetitive movements
- Any combination of the above
How a Workers’ Comp Attorney Can Help
To prove your case for continuing benefits, convincing evidence can be compiled by your Northwestern Pennsylvania attorney to build a strong case that supports your workers’ comp claim.
Keeping a Pain Diary
Your attorney will probably recommend that you begin keeping a pain diary. You can make multiple entries during the day as your symptoms change. Whether you use an old-fashioned spiral notebook, make audio recordings or start an Excel spreadsheet doesn’t matter. You may wish to include the following in your diary:
- Include your pain level on a scale of one to 10, with 10 being the most severe. Mention what activity you were doing when the pain was at its worst.
- Describe the pain. Was it an ache, burning sensation, acute?
- Maintain a list of the medications you are taking and their effects. Are your meds alleviating your pain or giving you unpleasant side effects?
- Write down what medical procedures have been done to alleviate your symptoms and whether or not they helped improve your condition.
- Note how your chronic pain has affected you mentally and psychologically as well as how it has influenced your personal relationships with others.
Record Keeping
Keeping accurate records of your appointments with your doctor, specialists or at the hospital is important evidence. Always ask for and retain copies of these records in a safe place. This type of evidence is more likely to convince the court or insurance company that your complaint of chronic injury is real.
Expert Witness
Expert witnesses may be used by your attorney to provide professional opinions on your chronic injuries. These may include your physician, specialist and those who can explain how your pain can be job-related.
Travis Law Firm Helps With Workers’ Comp Claims
To prove that your pain prevents you from working, seeking free legal advice from the Travis Law Firm can be a good move to resolving your issues with your workers’ comp claim. Our attorneys can also help you take your case through the proper administrative and legal channels if your insurance company has already wrongfully denied your claim. Call us at (814) 277-2222, or connect with us online.