How to Claim Compensation for Back Injuries at Work

Minor aches and pains can happen at any age, but if you find yourself experiencing chronic pain due to a work-related injury, the issue could be serious. Work-related back injuries are often neglected, but this is one area where you should never allow symptoms to dissipate. A back injury at work can make your personal and work life excruciating, and no one needs to suffer simply because they were injured at work.

Back injuries are, not surprisingly, the most common type of work-related injury. Activities such as standing, sitting, stretching, lifting, and general movement require the engagement of muscles in your back. When one of these muscles becomes overworked, strained, or compromised, simply resting your back may not be sufficient. Filing a claim for your workplace back injury can help you manage the pain and obtain the assistance needed to repair the damage.

Not every back injury may be eligible for a compensation claim. If you have an ongoing, chronic back injury that happens to flare up at work, and the injury is not the result of your employer’s fault, the matter is ineligible for a claim. However, if you encounter an unsafe work environment due to neglected safety measures, faulty equipment, or hazardous conditions, a claim becomes possible.

Your employer is required, by law, to adhere to strict guidelines regarding safety in the workplace. Unsafe conditions that result from employer negligence may include a lack of proper signage, failure to maintain equipment, or inadequate safety protocols. For instance, an unsafe work environment resulted from a neglected pipe constantly leaking water on the floor, making it slick. An employee walking through the area can potentially fall, leading to a back injury claim. In such instances, filing a personal injury claim is a viable option to seek compensation and address the consequences of the workplace back injury.

It is essential that you file your claim as soon as possible to ensure you receive the necessary care for a full recovery but no longer than three years after the accident occurs.

• Lifting Too Much – Unless your job states that it requires a specific weight to be lifted, the employer cannot require you to continually lift large or awkward loads. Injury from this type of work is among the most common causes for a claim.
  
• Slips or Falls – As stated above, failure to maintain a safe work environment can be caused by a slick floor. Although an employee may watch where they step, a slick floor can quickly cause the employee to fall and severely injure their back.
  
• Repetitive Movement – Repetitive movement can cause strain on your back. Continually moving in the same manner without a proper break is grounds for a claim should an employee injure their back during the process.
  
• Sitting for Long Periods of Time – Although movement can cause a back injury at work, so can sitting for too long. Office workers that are required to sit for extended periods of time can experience pressure on their vertebrae leading to the potential for a workplace back injury.
  
• Driving Through Rough Roads for an Extended Period of Time – Driving for extended periods of time also comes with risks for back injury, but the problem can be exacerbated while driving along rough or unkept roads and terrain.

Not all workplace back injuries will be prevented, but a responsible employer will do its part to ensure the risk is minimised. Proper maintenance includes maintaining plumbing components to prevent slick floors, providing signs and blocking off unsafe areas, ensuring no employee is required to lift unsafe loads, and drivers are provided with maintained routes to minimise the risk of potential back injuries

If you suspect that your back injury was caused by neglect on the part of your employer, contact us at SilverOak Solicitors today. We are the experts you’ve been looking for to help file your personal injury claim. Never wait to see if an injury might heal on its own. You are entitled to compensation and proper medical care for your workplace back injury, so let SilverOak Solicitors assist you in getting what is owed to you today.