Neck injuries can be severely painful and debilitating to individuals suffering from this type of injury. A majority of people think that a neck injury most commonly occurs after a sudden accident. The truth is, this injury could have happened over years on the job. In a study published by the National Library of Medicine, more than 45.5% of office workers suffer from work-related neck pain. Work-related neck injury is more common than most people realize, and you could be entitled to worker compensation for lost wages.
Medical Treatment Guidelines For Neck Pain
The guidelines for neck pain can be found in the New York non-acute pain medical treatment guidelines. The Guidelines are there to help advise medical professionals on necessary treatments for neck injuries sustained from a workplace incident.
The focus of the guidelines is on the prescribing and treatment for non-acute pain for workers’ compensation claims. The change is aimed at helping physicians to properly prescribe opiates and other pain medications to injured workers who have long-term pain. The guidelines for neck injuries follow process for medical care, treatment time frames, when individuals suffering from neck pain can return to work, and job site evaluation.
Care and treatment that is required of a medical professional due to a work-related neck injury should be focused on restoring the functional ability necessary to meet the patient’s daily activities and be able to return to work. Such focus is an effort that strives to restore the patient’s health to their preinjury status. Getting the patient back to preinjury status is a main focus.
Common Causes Of Work Related Neck Injuries
Repetitive Motion: Some industries require employees to make the same repetitive motion over and over. In some of these cases workers report neck discomfort which can lead to long term injury and discomfort.
Car Accidents: For workers that are required to drive as part of their job, they inherit the added risk of neck injuries due to auto accidents. Injuries such as whiplash, fractured vertebrae, and pinched nerves are common injuries seen after auto accidents. When driving is a required part of your job, you may be eligible for workers compensation after an auto accident.
Slips & Falls: Employers are required to maintain safe working conditions for all their employees. Poor lighting, bad flooring and broken hand railings can all cause accidents leading to neck injuries sustained on the job.
Why You Need An Attorney After A Work Related Neck Injury
Injuries that happen while on the clock at work can affect you both emotionally and physically. These injuries may keep you from being able to do your job and you need to be able to pay your bills and feed your family. Our team of experienced attorneys will help you throughout the complicated legal process, of filing your workers compensation claim so you get the compensation you deserve.
There are many different types of injuries you can get while on the job, but neck injuries present a different challenge than others. The challenge of neck injuries is that they are not visible and hard to prove they exist to the naked eye. Many are quick to believe a bad back, but a bad neck may not be.
Neck injuries can grossly affect your quality of life and ability to perform your work duties at full capacity. Working with an experienced workers compensation attorney will ensure your claim is filed properly and that the medical guidelines for work related injuries is being followed.
Getting Started On You Claim After A Neck Injury
It is important to report your injury as soon as it happens. Be honest about the circumstances, you do not want to “try and cheat the system.” If you suffered a neck injury because of a workplace injury, let our team of professionals handle your workers compensation case. At Erwin McCane and Daly, we are committed to getting you the compensation you deserve.
