If you’ve been injured on the job, you have to deal with the immediate consequences, including obtaining the medical care you need and dealing with the lost wages you’re experiencing on top of everything else. Another lingering issue, however, is dealing with the ongoing health concerns that often accompany serious accidents – and repetitive-stress injuries – including chronic pain. If you’re suffering from chronic pain as the result of an accident or repetitive-stress injury at work, you need an experienced Freehold, New Jersey, workers’ compensation attorney on your side.
Chronic Back Pain
The National Institute of Health (NIH) shares that back pain drives people to the doctor or to miss time on the job more than almost any other cause. NIH shares all of the following regarding chronic back pain:
- Chronic back pain is defined as pain that lasts for 12 weeks or longer (even after the underlying injury or cause has been identified and treated).
- About 20 percent of people with short-term back pain (known as acute back pain) develop chronic back pain and continue to have persistent symptoms at the one-year mark.
- When back pain persists, effective treatment can be elusive.
Chronic back pain can be the direct result of a serious accident on the job, but it can also develop over time in response to repetitive motion – or even as a result of an overly sedentary position, such as sitting at a desk for eight hours a day.
Workers’ Compensation Coverage
If you were injured on the job – regardless of the kind of injury – you should be entitled to workers’ compensation medical and disability benefits as applicable. All employers in the State of New Jersey are required by law to provide employees with this coverage for sudden traumatic injuries (like those equated with falls and collisions) and for injuries that are related to repetitive motion and other forms of physical job-related stress. It’s important to recognize, however, that simply being entitled to coverage does not mean you will obtain that coverage and working closely with an experienced workers’ compensation attorney is the best path forward.
Medical Benefits
Recovering from job-related chronic back pain can be a lengthy, laborious process that involves not only initial treatment but can also include the following:
- Physical therapy and rehabilitation
- Pain blocks that can include nerve blocks and epidural steroid injections
- Therapeutic physical treatments that can include acupuncture, biofeedback therapy, electrical nerve stimulation, massage, laser therapy, and more
Chronic back pain can also lead to permanent disability that precludes you from returning to your job. To obtain benefits for a disability related to chronic back pain, however, you’ll need to demonstrate (via medical evidence) that your chronic pain is related to an injury obtained on the job and that this pain negatively affects your ability to perform both your work and your activities of daily living.
An Experienced Freehold, NJ, Workers’ Compensation Attorney Can Help
If your job’s left you in chronic pain, the dedicated Freehold workers’ compensation lawyers at Lomurro Law have the experience, skill, and commitment to help. For more information, please don’t hesitate to contact us online or call us at 732-482-9285 today.