Vermont Workplace Neck & Back Injury Lawyer
The pain from a neck or back injury can be mild or severe, acute or lingering. Apart from the pain, a neck or back injury is often accompanied by restricted movement, limited mobility, and a lack of range of motion. Certain movements serve to inflame the pain or are simply not physically possible.
Unfortunately, neck and back injuries are very common on the job. They come about due to traumatic events, such as slips, trips or falls, or a sudden twisting or turning. They also arise from overexertion and repetitive stress from bending and lifting, either all day long or over months or years. Even a desk job at a computer can cause neck and back injuries if the workspace is not ergonomically designed and workers are not given the proper support they need to do their jobs without injury.
Although neck and back injuries are among the most common work injuries, they are often disputed by employers and workers’ comp insurance carriers who argue that the injury did not happen on the job. Instead, they say the injury comes from outside of work or is the result of a degenerative, age-related disease or a pre-existing condition. They might even allege the injury is exaggerated or nonexistent.
For all of these reasons and more, it’s important to have professional legal guidance and representation on your side when dealing with a workers’ compensation claim for a neck or back injury. Sluka Law represents injured workers throughout the state of Vermont who have been hurt on the job and are having trouble getting their workers’ compensation benefits. If your claim for workers’ comp is being unreasonably delayed, denied, underpaid or terminated prematurely, or if you are facing issues with independent medical examiners or encountering other problems with your claim, contact the Vermont workplace injury lawyers at Sluka Law for help.
Compensable Neck Injuries in Vermont Workers’ Compensation Law
Neck injuries can occur due to sudden trauma like an impact after a fall or getting hit with an object, or due to hyperextension, unusual movements, or repetitive motions over time. As long as the injury occurred while working, it should be covered by workers’ compensation. Vermont workers’ comp benefits are available for a wide range of neck injuries, including:
- Pinched nerves
- Neck sprains
- Neck strain
- Whiplash
- Fractures
- Soft tissue damage
- Dislocation in the cervical spine
- Herniated cervical discs
- Neck spasms
Workers’ Comp and Back Injuries
Any job that involves manual labor puts the worker’s back at risk of an injury, whether from a single traumatic event or over years of performing the same physical duties. Workers on construction sites face back injuries from falls, scaffold collapses, getting thrown in an explosion, or getting hit by a swinging, falling or rolling object. Factory workers risk back injury due to repetitive movements involving heavy lifting and working with heavy machinery, repeated bending and lifting, or having to stand or walk for hours at a time. Employees in less obvious workplaces also frequently suffer back injuries, such as licensed nursing assistants required to lift and transfer nursing home patients into and out of beds and chairs on a daily basis.
Back injuries can range from muscle tears and sprains to spine damage that impacts the spinal cord and severely harms the body’s central nervous system. These injuries can result in complete or partial paralysis or worse and can even be life-threatening. Compensable back injuries can include:
- Spinal stenosis
- Herniated discs
- Spinal fractures
- Facet joint injuries
- Back spasms
- Soft tissue injuries
Insurance companies often deny workers’ comp claims for back injuries, alleging the injury is due to a degenerative disease or pre-existing condition. It is important to note that the aggravation of a pre-existing condition is compensable if the aggravation occurred at work, even if the condition’s original onset began prior to employment.
When insurers do agree the injury is compensable, they still might try to force a traditional surgery such as spinal fusion or the removal of discs when alternatives such as interlaminar stabilization devices might have better long-term outcomes for the patient. As your workers’ compensation attorney, Sluka Law will fight not just to get your claim covered but to see you get the treatment that is recommended by your doctor and is best for you.
Get the Help You Need After a Neck or Back Injury on the Job in Vermont
If you have suffered a neck or back injury on the job, you are entitled to receive workers’ compensation benefits, including having your medical care paid for by workers’ comp and not out of your pocket, as well as wage replacement while you are out of work or on light duty at less pay, or a lump sum payment for your disability. If you are having trouble getting the benefits due to you, it’s time to call an experienced workers’ compensation attorney for help. In Vermont, call Sluka Law at 802-457-1000 for a free consultation. We’ll take on the insurance company and help you get the benefits you need and deserve, and there’s no fee until we do.
