Santa Clara County Workplace Knee and Shoulder Injury Attorneys

Workers' Comp Lawyers For Employees With Repetitive Stress Joint Injuries in Gilroy, CA

Your knees, shoulders, and other joints are largely responsible for your body's movement, and as such, they bear a significant amount of strain throughout your life. With so much of life spent at work, it is not uncommon to develop a work-related joint injury, especially if your job involves physical activity of some sort. When this happens, workers' compensation benefits can be crucial to cover your medical care and lost wages.

California law requires employers to provide workers' compensation for employees injured on the job, but obtaining benefits after an injury is often difficult without the assistance of a qualified attorney. At Cramer & Martinez, LLP, we help you handle the challenges of the workers' compensation process and strive to achieve the results you need to move forward from your joint injuries.

Types of Work-Related Knee, Shoulder, and Joint Injuries

Workplace joint injuries typically fall into two major categories: immediate injuries and repetitive stress injuries. Immediate injuries are caused by a one-time occurrence, whereas repetitive stress injuries develop over a longer time period. Both of these types of injuries can be covered by California workers' compensation benefits.

Common examples of immediate, work-related joint injuries include:

• Dislocations: A dislocation occurs when the bones connecting at a joint are forced out of position. This may happen in a work-related fall orcar crash. Shoulder dislocations are especially common, but knees, elbows, fingers, and other joints are also susceptible.
• Sprained and torn ligaments and tendons: Ligaments hold bones together at a joint, while tendons attach muscles to bones, and both can be damaged due to blunt force trauma or physical exertion. Specific injuries include a torn rotator cuff or a separated shoulder, or a torn ACL, PCL, or MCL in the knee.
• Cartilage damage: If your work involves intense pressure on your knees, you may suffer a tear in the meniscus, the cartilage between your upper and lower leg bones.
• Broken bones: Forceful impacts may result in broken or fractured knee caps, shoulder blades, or bones in the elbows, wrists, and hands, all of which can severely limit joint mobility temporarily or permanently.

Examples of repetitive stress joint injuries that develop at work include:

• Tendonitis: Repetitive motions can result in the inflammation of tendons surrounding joints. Common forms of tendonitis include tennis elbow and golfer's elbow, which can affectconstruction workers, manufacturing workers, and others who frequently use their arms in their work.
• Bursitis: Most major joints, including the knees, shoulders, elbows, and hips, have bursa sacs that support the bones at their connecting point. Repetitive strain on the joints can result in the inflammation of these sacs, causing a condition called bursitis.
• Carpal tunnel syndrome: This condition, in which a nerve in your wrist is compressed, can result in a loss of sensation and impairment of motor skills in your hands. It is common among office employees who frequently sit at a desk and type on a keyboard, as well as other employees who perform repetitive hand movements.

Workers' compensation benefits may also be available if your job aggravates a pre-existing joint condition like arthritis.

Obtaining Benefits For Joint Injuries in Santa Clara County

If you suffer an immediate joint injury at work, you should let your employer know as soon as possible so that you can promptly file a claim for workers' compensation. If you need emergency medical care, your employer should assist in arranging it, and it should be covered along with all other necessary medical care by your workers' compensation benefits. Once your treating physician has had the opportunity to evaluate your condition, you may also be considered eligible for temporary or permanent disability benefits if your injuries prevent you from returning to work at your previous wages.

Cases involving repetitive stress injuries or the aggravation of pre-existing conditions can be more complicated, as the date and cause of your injury may not be as clear. You should notify your employer as soon as you become aware of your injury, and prepare to present evidence connecting your condition to your job requirements. If your claim is denied, your attorney can help you file a petition for an appeal and prepare for a hearing, settlement conference, or trial, depending on what your case requires.

Contact a Monterey County Work-Related Injury Attorney

We are prepared to assist with questions about your initial claim after a work-related joint injury, as well as any complications that arise throughout the workers' compensation process. Contact us for a free consultation today at 408-848-1113. We represent clients throughout Santa Clara County and the surrounding areas, including Gilroy, Morgan Hill, Hollister, Salinas, San Jose, Los Banos, Watsonville, San Benito County, Monterey County, Santa Cruz County, and Merced County.