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What qualifies as a workplace injury?
While there are common workplace injuries, you may be wondering what legally qualifies an injury to be labeled as an official workplace injury. There are actually two major categories here: Injuries and Occupational Diseases.
A work injury is a “sudden tangible happening,” i.e., falling off a ladder, a torn muscle/tendon from a specific lift, etc. An occupational disease occurs over time due to the conditions of your work environment or job tasks, i.e., repetitive use of your shoulder/back/hip, etc., leading to or exacerbating degeneration in that body part.
For an injury or occupational disease to be work-related, it must occur in your work environment and have caused or contributed to your condition or aggravated a pre-existing condition. Without these factors, you likely will be unable to file a successful L&I claim for coverage. Ouch.
10 of the most common workplace injuries
Now that we have covered what a workplace injury is, it’s time to cover some of the most common workplace injuries. As you may have guessed, a labor-intensive job will typically have a higher rate of workplace injuries than your 9-5 desk job. However, that doesn’t mean work-related injuries don’t pop up in a more passive work environment.
Common injuries or conditions include:
- Trips, slips, and falls
- Pulled or strained muscles
- Getting hit by fallen objects
- Crashes with company cars or equipment
- Lacerations and cuts
- Exposure to toxic fumes
- Repetitive wear-and-tear injuries
- Exposure to loud noises
- Joint or spine damage due to repetitive stress
- Explosions and fires
Finding the right workplace injury attorney
While some are lucky and have cooperative and accommodating workplaces after their injury, others are not so fortunate. If you are dealing with the aftermath of a workplace injury, the last thing you need is to be stressed handling the legalities, paperwork, and your treatment and recovery.
We’re here to advocate as your workplace injury or occupational disease attorneys if you’re fighting to receive medical attention, therapy, workers’ compensation benefits, or anything you require to recover. (Because the cast on that foot is bad enough, right?)
Contact Carlisle + Byers for a free consultation
As experienced workers’ compensation attorneys in Washington State, we know the ins and outs of the legal process and the rights and benefits you are entitled to in the event of a workplace injury or occupational disease. With the right support system, you can stop stressing about all the lingering details and can just focus on getting better. To contact us to schedule a free legal consultation, click here.
