Like most people in Pennsylvania, you probably just want to put in a good day at work, get home safely and receive fair compensation for your time. However, do you ever worry that you are working too hard? Your great work ethic could put you in danger of an overexertion injury. If you were recently hurt because of overworking yourself, you could qualify for workers’ compensation benefits.
Overworking the body — also called overexertion — is a serious problem in Pennsylvania. Bosses like to praise workers who push harder and harder. Those same bosses rarely caution their hard workers against pushing too hard. The result is usually injury.
Overexertion Is Common
Overexertion is not just a problem at work. Across all age groups, overexertion causes the most injuries out of anything else. That means overexertion injuries are more common than injuries from car accidents, slip-and-falls and more. Even kids are not immune. Carrying heavy backpacks commonly causes overexertion for kids over the age of 10.
In the workplace, overexertion is a serious issue. Overexertion causes 35 percent of all documented on-the-job injuries. Workers’ compensation benefits pay out about $15 billion every year for these types of injuries. That makes it the number one most expensive workers’ compensation injury, and it is also the most common reason for people to miss work.
Are You At Risk?
Almost anyone, at any time, working at any job could suffer an overexertion injury. However, if you work in health services, transportation, retail, manufacturing or construction, then you are probably at a higher risk than other workers are. Other industries — including government work — are also a problem.
You position, work duties and even the type of movements you do at work can also affect your risk for overworking yourself. Everyone from office workers to construction workers probably have at least one or two risk factors. Here are a few job duties that could spell out trouble for you and your co-workers:
- Repetitive motion
- Excessive lifting, pushing or other physical exertion
- Standing or sitting for long periods of time
- Extreme temperatures
You Deserve Compensation
Overexertion is an extremely frustrating type of worker injury. After all, you were just trying to do your job to the very best of your ability. However, now that you are injured, you are not even sure when you will be able to return to work. That’s where workers’ compensation comes in.
Workers’ compensation benefits are important for Pennsylvania workers. These benefits can pay for things like medical bills associated with your injuries. You can even get compensation for a portion of your wages when you had to miss work. Denials are sadly common for workers’ comp though, so working with an attorney who understands the process can be helpful.