How do I know if I was injured at work?

Believe it or not, whether you are injured at work is not always a clear question. Generally speaking, there are two types of injuries recognized in California: Specific injuries and cumulative trauma injuries.

A specific injury typically occurs on a specific date at a specific time. You bend over and lift something to find that your back has ceased up. You trip over a loose cord and injure your wrist. Specific injuries typically involve strained muscles, broken bones, herniated discs, injured joints, etc.

Cumulative trauma injuries occurred due to repetition. For instance, your job duties require you to bend and twist repeatedly. Over a period of days, weeks, months or even years, you noticed soreness that deadly worsens to the point where you seek medical attention and realize that your work has caused a need for medical treatment. In other circumstances, someone works with paints, solvents or other hazardous materials that cause skin reactions, breathing problems, stomach issues or even cancer. Others perform repetitive hand manipulation such as typing, working on assembly line or using hand tools regularly at work and begin to feel pain, weakness and/or numbness caused, at least in part, by work activities. Still others already have chronic conditions such as hypertension, diabetes or heart issues or ongoing activities aggravate those conditions and make them worse.

In the end, if you suspect that your work activities have contributed to the need for medical treatment or the inability to perform your job duties, you most likely have a work injury and should take action immediately to protect your rights by contacting TURCHIN LAW without delay.

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