Whether you work in a warehouse loading and unloading inventory all day or in an office in front of a computer screen, you may be at greater risk of accidentally injuring yourself by lifting something incorrectly than you may think. Pulled muscles and strained tendons caused by improper lifting and carrying techniques are among the leading causes of work-related injuries in Nevada and across the United States.
If you have been hurt in this way recently, you may have grounds to seek benefits through your employer’s workers’ compensation plan with support from a workplace injury attorney. If you want to maximize your chances of getting the most money possible, you should seek the assistance of a seasoned Summerlin workplace lifting injury lawyer from Shook & Stone who has extensive experience with claims like yours.
What Kinds of Lifting Injuries Does Workers’ Comp Cover?
Both acute and chronic lifting injuries—injuries that happen all at once from a single traumatic accident and injuries that build up over time due to repetitive motion or stress—are covered by workers’ comp in Nevada. The only requirements are that they:
- Stem directly from a workplace accident or your overall working conditions
- Result in an injury that requires some form of professional medical care or prevents you from working normally for some period of time
An accident does not have to involve a task specifically listed in your job description to qualify as work-related. For example, an office worker who pulls a muscle while lifting a box of files onto a shelf should be covered by workers’ comp even if they normally spend their whole workday typing behind a desk, since they were still doing something related to their job and were on a worksite when they got hurt. A Summerlin workplace lifting accident attorney can offer clarity during an initial consultation about whether a particular set of circumstances might justify a workers’ comp claim.
What to Do Immediately After a Lifting Injury
If you suffer a lifting injury at work and intend to seek workers’ comp benefits for that injury, Nevada workers’ compensation law requires you to notify your employee in writing about the injury as soon as possible after it happens, or in some cases after you discover it has happened as a direct result of your working conditions. Then, your employer should provide you with a C-4 form for you to fill out and return to them. Once your employer has filled out their own portion of that form, they will send it to their workers’ comp insurance provider to formally start the claims process.
Importantly, you have a maximum of 90 days from sustaining or discovering your injury to take the preceding steps and to get a signature on your C-4 form from an employer-approved physician who diagnosed and treated your injury. Failing to do any of these things could significantly delay the claims process. It may even lead to your claim being rejected altogether—an outcome that a skilled lawyer can help avoid after a workplace lifting injury in Summerlin, Rhodes Ranch, Sovana, or Sun City.
A Summerlin Workplace Lifting Injury Attorney Can Help
Feeling a twinge while lifting or carrying something heavy can do a lot more than just put a damper on your workday. In many situations, it can lead to you needing expensive medical care and missing out on much-needed wages or salary in the meantime. The longer your injury takes to heal, the greater its financial impact may be.
Fortunately, workers’ comp may help reduce the harm this incident causes and stabilize your finances until you can return to normal work. Call Shook & Stone today to discuss your options with a Summerlin workplace lifting injury lawyer.
