Non-Traumatic Injuries and Workers’ Compensation

Establishing the work-related nature of your injury is often the first of many challenges that a workers’ compensation claimant in Florida faces. In many cases, this is not much of a problem. If you were injured in a traumatic incident, it is usually clear that the injury was work-related. However, a large number of very real and very debilitating injuries and medical conditions cannot be pinned to a fixed incident, but may come about after years of repetitive motion or environmental exposure. These types of injuries are still compensable, but may present additional challenges to claimants.

There are many types of serious occupational illnesses and conditions that Florida workers can experience:

• Hearing loss from long-term exposure to noise
• Respiratory ailments from exposure to dust, mold or vapors
• Cancer from exposure to carcinogenic chemicals
• Serious skin conditions from chemical exposure
• Progressive joint and muscle degeneration from repetitive motion or repeated minor injuries
• Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) developing post-injury

Anyone who has experienced one of these ailments knows how debilitating they can be. Unfortunately, because they cannot be tied to a specific incident, they can be challenging to prove in the workers’ compensation context. Nevertheless, with the help of a dedicated workers’ comp attorney, you have a better chance of receiving the benefits you deserve. You may also be able to pursue damages from a responsible third party. For example, if your injury is the result of an equipment failure, the manufacturer of the product may be held liable.