Lower Back Injuries Among Supermarket Cashiers

Working as a supermarket cashier might seem like a relatively low-stress job that does not put workers at significant risk of injury, yet cashier injuries in retail settings are more common — and can be more severe — than you might think. As a result of job requirements that include standing at a register for an extended period of time for long shifts and performing the same manual tasks repeatedly, cashiers can suffer certain types of injuries quite regularly, especially musculoskeletal injuries. In particular, lower back injuries and disorders can become particularly common and may require medical treatment and days away from work.

What should you know about lower back injuries among supermarket cashiers and options for obtaining medical care and wage replacement benefits? Consider the following information from our Maryland food store worker injury lawyers.

Understanding Lower Back Pain and Injuries

Lower back injuries and pain in the lower back are very common, according to the Cleveland Clinic, and typically result from strains or sprains, or other types of injury to or disease in the muscles or tendons, in the lumbar region of a person’s spine.

This type of lower back injury can be limited or chronic. Chronic — meaning long-lasting — lower back pain, which often requires medical treatment, can happen when a traumatic incident occurs or when a person experiences repetitive movements or stress that lead to a musculoskeletal disorder. The most common causes of lower back pain among cashiers at supermarkets include strains, sprains, disk problems, arthritis, and in some cases spinal fractures.

Seeking Compensation for a Musculoskeletal Issue

According to a study in the International Journal of Public Health, lower back pain due to a musculoskeletal disorder can prevent a cashier from performing their required job tasks and will often require days away from work, or more, for treatment and recovery. As that study notes, more than 65 percent of supermarket cashiers who report injuries report lower back injuries.

Is it possible to seek compensation for this type of pain and injury? If a cashier can prove that their injury arose out of and occurred in the course of compensation, it may be possible to obtain Maryland workers’ compensation benefits with assistance from a lawyer. It will be important to show that the lower back injury or disease is tied to the job-related duties of being a supermarket cashier.

Contact a Maryland Workers’ Compensation Attorney for Assistance with Your Supermarket Injury Claim 

If you sustained a lower back injury or have been diagnosed with any other musculoskeletal disorder as a result of your work as a supermarket cashier in Maryland, you may be eligible to obtain workers’ compensation benefits to pay for your medical care and to compensate you for a portion of your lost wages due to your inability to work. Depending on the severity of the injury and the effects of it, you could also be eligible for additional disability coverage. One of the experienced Maryland supermarket worker injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Steinhardt, Siskind and Lieberman, LLC can discuss the details of your supermarket work injury with you today. Contact us to learn more about how we can assist you.

Source:

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7763189/