If you fall off a ladder at the office or your hand gets caught in a machine on the assembly line, it’s pretty easy to tie your injuries to direct work activities. But what if you wake up one day with back pain, or you’ve started to suffer from frequent migraines? Can you make an argument that these conditions are tied to your job duties, and would this make you eligible for workers’ compensation? As you might imagine, the answer depends on the specific situation.
If you believe that your work duties are causing your new symptoms and you want help making a case to a workers’ compensation insurance provider that you are eligible for compensation, we want to help. Below, we share some tips for tying your new symptoms to your work duties.
Proving New Symptoms Are Work Related
For the sake of this blog, we’re going to assume that you are trying to prove that new or worsening symptoms are related to your work duties, even though there was no acute injury or specific event that occurred on the clock that resulted in your new condition. This is quite common for workers who develop symptoms like joint arthritis or carpal tunnel syndrome. But how can you prove that these new symptoms were the result of years or decades of stress during your work duties? Here are some ways to make your case.
Medical Evaluation – One of the first things you’ll want to do is set up an appointment with a medical professional. Let them know that you are dealing with new symptoms and you believe that it may be tied to your current or past work duties. Your doctor will be able to provide you with a professional diagnosis and they may be able to give credibility to your claims that your work duties contributed to your injuries. They will be a strong ally in your quest to earn compensation for your injuries.
Lawyer – You’ll also benefit from working with an attorney who can make a strong argument that your symptoms are tied to previous work duties. Every day we work to showcase that our clients are eligible for compensation because their injuries are directly or indirectly tied to their work duties, and we can do the same for you. The insurance company will have professionals on their side to counter your claims, so you need a lawyer in your corner who can build an airtight argument.
Document – Make it a point to document your symptoms as they develop. It’s not enough to just say that you suffer from headaches; instead, document the frequency and intensity of your headaches, when they tend to develop and how you try to treat them. The more information your lawyer and your doctor have, the easier it will be to tie these symptoms to a specific cause or to contributing factors. Thorough documentation can also make for a handy reference sheet if you are ever asked to talk about things from days, weeks or months prior.
Honesty – It’s also very important that you are open and honest with your lawyer and the insurance company when building your case. Now, that doesn’t mean that we want you to share any and all information with the insurance company, but don’t lie in order to earn an award. The insurance company will do its own investigation, and if you are seeking compensation for knee pain and it turns out that you previously sought care for a knee injury after a skiing accident, it’s going to be a red flag for the insurance company. Be honest with your lawyer about all aspects of your health history so that they aren’t surprised when making your case to the insurance company.
Witnesses – Finally, if you have any coworkers who would be willing to provide a statement to your lawyer, it could help strengthen your case. If former coworkers can attest to the types of activities that were commonly performed on the job, it can help to showcase that your new symptoms are tied to your work duties. Get the contact information of any current or former coworkers who could verify your claims to your lawyer.
It won’t always be easy to prove that new symptoms are a result of work you performed weeks, months or years ago, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t consider pursuing compensation. If your work duties directly led to these symptoms, you may be eligible for compensation. Let us help build your case and get you the compensation you deserve. For more information, or for help with a different type of injury claim, reach out to the team at Hey Workers today at (844) 439-9675.
