Herniated Discs Caused by Work Duties

While workplace injuries can occur in any type of job, it is in jobs that are physically demanding where workers tend to sustain certain types of injuries more often, as well as certain occupational diseases. For example, jobs in warehousing, construction, health care, and airline ground work require a significant amount of physical exertion, and employees in these kinds of jobs can be at greater risk of a wide range of injuries, including those that develop due to wear and tear on the body. Herniated discs are one of the more common types of back injuries that workers in physically demanding jobs can experience.

Our Maryland workers’ compensation lawyers can provide you with more information about herniated discs and workers’ compensation benefits.

What is a Herniated Disc? 

According to the Mayo Clinic, a herniated disc is “a problem with one of the rubbery cushions, called discs, that sit between the bones that stack to make the spine,” also known as the vertebrae. Herniated discs can happen in any part of a person’s spine, but they are most common in the lower back. When herniated discs occur in the lower back or neck, they can cause symptoms that can make working difficult or impossible, especially for individuals in jobs that have substantial physical demands.

Common symptoms, when they occur, include but are not limited to the following:

• Arm pain;
• Leg pain;
• Numbness; and
• Weakness in the affected nerves and muscle areas.

The symptoms described above can make it difficult to walk, to sit for extended periods of time, and to hold or lift items.

What is the Connection Between a Physically Demanding Job and Herniated Disc Injury?

While the Mayo Clinic explains that herniated discs are known to occur from degeneration, they can also occur in the following ways, which are common in physically demanding jobs:

• Repetitive lifting;
• Repetitive pulling or pushing;
• Bending sideways and twisting; and
• Traumatic events such as a fall or blow to a person’s back.

Seeking Workers’ Compensation Benefits for a Herniated Disc 

Back injuries, including herniated discs, can be compensable through the Maryland workers’ compensation system for a wide range of employees.

In order to be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits resulting from a herniated disc, you will need to show that the injury arose out of and occurred in the course of your employment. An experienced workers’ compensation lawyer in Maryland can help you to gather the evidence you need to prove that your injury is compensable under Maryland’s workers’ compensation system.

Contact a Maryland Workers’ Compensation Attorney 

Have you been experiencing back pain at work, and were you recently diagnosed with a herniated disc? Depending on your diagnosis and the nature of your work, you may be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits to cover your medical care and to provide you with wage replacement benefits. It is important to seek advice from one of the experienced Maryland workers’ compensation lawyers at the Law Offices of Steinhardt, Siskind and Lieberman, LLC to find out more about your eligibility for benefits. Contact us today to discuss your injury and your workers’ compensation case.

Source:

mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/herniated-disk/symptoms-causes/syc-20354095