Invisible Injuries and Workers’ Compensation

Cuts, blood and broken bones are clear evidence of injuries, and an employee who suffers one of these maladies on the job will usually have no trouble getting a workers’ compensation award for their troubles. However, not all injuries are obvious, and this can make it harder for a person to win a compensation claim. These “invisible injuries” are real, but they can be hard to prove. Today, we take a closer look at invisible injuries in the workplace, and how to best earn compensation for these types of injuries.

Types Of Invisible Injuries

Invisible injuries don’t necessarily mean that a physical injury does not exist, it’s just that these types of conditions usually don’t involve a “moment of injury.” For example, carpal tunnel syndrome is often considered an invisible injury because the injury develops over the course of many years and slow degeneration. That being said, other invisible injuries do not have physical symptoms.

Here’s a look at some of the more common “invisible” injuries in the workplace:

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Arthritis
Gillette Injuries
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Psychological Injuries
Depression/Anxiety
Cancer
Asbestos

All of these injuries can arise as a direct result of your employment, but they aren’t obvious because they don’t involve a moment of injury or can’t always be seen with the naked eye. If you are suffering from any of these conditions, reach out to a workers’ compensation lawyer to learn about your options.

Earning Compensation For Invisible Injuries

If you are dealing with one of the listed invisible injuries or another condition that you think the insurance company may have a tough time believing, here’s what you should do. For starters, since this is going to be a harder case to prove, you should hire a workers’ compensation lawyer. They have experience winning hard cases, and they can do everything in their power to put you in a good position to win a claim award.

Once you have an attorney, you’re going to want to get a thorough evaluation from a medical specialist. Have them be as specific as possible in documenting your injury or assessing your psychological condition. Expert testimony in the form of supported medical evidence is crucial for winning claims based on your invisible injury. Also, be sure to let you doctor know of your work duties or work events that may have contributed to the injury so that they can support the notion that your injury was caused, at least in part, by your work duties.

From there, all you’ll need to do is follow your lawyer’s instructions. Get them any documentation needed and answer any questions they might have. They’ll do the majority of the heavy lifting when it comes to putting together your case and filing your claim, but they’ll probably need a few things from you, so respond to them in a timely manner.

If you follow the above tips, we’re confident that you will earn compensation for your invisible illness claim. If you have any questions or want a lawyer to assist with your case, reach out to Dean Margolis today.