Recovery From Back Injuries: Your Rights To Workers’ Compensation Benefits In Maryland
Back injuries are among the most common reasons employees file workers’ compensation claims in Maryland. Unfortunately, even a seemingly minor sprain can significantly impact your ability to work while preventing you from performing household tasks and engaging in your favorite hobbies.
Workers’ compensation benefits help you through the recovery process, ensuring you get the necessary medical care, and offsetting lost wages. Our Maryland workers’ compensation attorney explains common work-related back injuries and your rights to benefits.
Common Work-Related Back Injuries In Maryland
Musculoskeletal issues, such as strains, sprains, and fractures, are one of the most common causes of on-the-job injuries in Maryland. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that nearly 20 percent of all cases involve the back. Work-related back injuries in Maryland injuries often happen due to overuse, excessive strain, repetitive movements, falls, and accidents involving heavy equipment or machinery.
These injuries can happen in any workplace, and while symptoms may be subtle at first, they can cause chronic pain and limited mobility that can impact you for years afterward. Back injuries common among Maryland workers include:
- Strains and sprains, causing damage to muscles, tendons, or ligaments in the back;
- Herniated discs, resulting in nerve pain and mobility issues;
- Fractured vertebrae due to falls or traumatic accidents;
- Spondylolisthesis, which is when a vertebra slips out of place and leans on others below it.
Work-related back injuries can happen suddenly in an accident or develop over time. No matter how they occur, these injuries can require medical treatment, time off work, and rehabilitation to avoid potential long-term consequences.
What To Do If You Are Injured
Let your employer or supervisor know right away if you sustain a back injury due to a work-related accident or in the course of otherwise performing your job duties. Make sure they complete an accident report an gather evidence at the scene. You should seek immediate medical care, and follow your doctor’s instructions regarding treatment and work restrictions. Then contact our Maryland workers’ compensation attorneys to help you navigate filing a claim with the State of Maryland to get you benefits.
Workers’ compensation benefits help injured workers get the care and compensation they need to recover. Benefits you may be entitled to through the Maryland Workers’ Compensation Commission include:
- Medical coverage, which pays for all necessary, reasonable, and causally related medical treatment, which can include doctor visits, physical therapy, and surgeries.
- Temporary disability benefits, which help make up for lost wages during your recovery;
- Permanent disability benefits for severe injuries that result in long-term limitations;
- Vocational rehabilitation, if back injuries prevent you from returning to your previous job.
To Get The Benefits You Are Entitled To, Contact Our Experienced Maryland Workers’ Compensation Attorneys
Workers’ compensation benefits in Maryland seek to provide a safety net when back injuries happen. Unfortunately, navigating the often complex claims process can be challenging, and benefits often end up denied or delayed.
Berman | Sobin | Gross LLP fights to get injured workers the compensation they deserve. To get the maximum recovery in your claim, call or contact our office online. Request a consultation today with our experienced Maryland workers’ compensation lawyers.
Source:
bls.gov/opub/ted/2018/back-injuries-prominent-in-work-related-musculoskeletal-disorder-cases-in-2016.htm
