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There is such a thing as “too much work,” particularly when overworking leads to injuries. Our bodies are only made to handle so much at one time, and we can overexert ourselves. Here, we want to review some of the most common injuries caused by overexertion in the workplace. Anyone who sustains a workplace injury should be able to recover workers’ compensation insurance, even for overexertion injuries.
In its simplest terms, overexertion is any action that pushes the body beyond what it is typically capable of doing. When we push our bodies too far, various types of injuries can occur. When we overexert ourselves, this can lead to significant musculoskeletal disorders and the need for significant medical assistance. In some cases, overexertion injuries lead to long-term complications and prevent individuals from working.
According to the National Safety Council, overexertion can occur in a wide variety of ways, including lifting, pushing, holding, carrying, pulling, throwing, or other types of similar actions. There are also various types of repetitive activities that individuals can do in the workplace that could lead to overexertion, including continually bending, reaching, crawling, climbing, or kneeling.
Additionally, individuals do not necessarily have to engage in strenuous physical activity to overexert themselves. Some other types of activities that could lead to overexertion of various muscles and tendons include typing, texting, or the repetitive use of various types of tools, such as screwdrivers, musical instruments, knives, and medical instruments.
Some of the most common types of injuries that individuals sustain if they overexert themselves, either in a strenuous way or as a result of repetitive activities over time, include the following:
These injuries can affect various parts of the body. The National Safety Council states that approximately 46% of overexertion injuries occur in the trunk area of our body, typically in the back area. 31% of overexertion injuries occur in the upper extremities, usually the shoulders. The NSC says that 16% of overexertion injuries occur in the lower extremities, primarily in the knees.
If you or somebody you care about has a sustained and overexertion injury at work, you should be able to recover compensation for your losses. In California, just about every employee is covered by workers’ compensation insurance. This type of insurance is designed to pay for any on-the-job injury you sustain, and it will cover all medical expenses related to the injury as well as a significant portion of lost wages if you are unable to work while you recover.
There are times when recovering compensation for overexertion injuries can be challenging, particularly if the overexertion caused an injury to occur over a longer period of time, such as a repetitive stress injury. Insurance carriers or the employer could push back and say that the workplace is not the actual cause of these types of injuries. You may need to seek assistance from a skilled workplace injury lawyer who can help you with your claim.